Philippe Sinault’s push to keep Signatech on the FIA WEC Hypercar grid in 2027, after Alpine withdraws, has resumed in the weeks since Le Mans, and there are now encouraging signs that a solution can be found.
The Frenchman, the team principal of Alpine’s Hypercar outfit, has been in discussion for months with prospective OEMs and investors to enable his team to return to the grid with a re-homologated A424 prototype. He says positive progress has been made in the weeks since Le Mans.
Last month, at the 24 Hours, talks were put on pause to allow Signatech (Alpine’s service provider) to focus on the biggest race of the season. A good performance, Sinault said, would go a long way in proving that his staff, the drivers, and Alpine’s Hypercar assets are worth investing in. And with a P6 and P9 finish, he believes the team achieved that objective.
“If you saw some articles, two months ago it was BYD, now with Geely. We have had some talks. Some of them have expressed interest in the project, so it’s good,” he told DSC at Interlagos last night. “We are talking with some of them more deeply than before Le Mans, but there is nothing really clear at the moment.
“At the moment, we have good momentum and a good signal. Maybe it’s because we had a good Le Mans? We made no mistakes, so we achieved the right result.”
Since then, discussions have continued, with Sinault confirming that multiple parties have held face-to-face meetings with Signatech to explore options.
“We had some face-to-face meetings (recently),” Sinault continued, when asked about the progression in talks. “It’s in their interest to have a visit and have a clear view of what we can provide as a service. It’s a way to have a good view of what we can do together.
“We’ve had conversations with parties of different profiles, some investors, some of them are OEMs directly.”
As a sidebar to this subject, DSC understands that Chinese manufacturer BYD visited Alpine’s base in Viry-Châtillon for in-person meetings five months ago, but did not make an enquiry about taking over the Hypercar programme with Signatech.
While Sinault is increasingly positive about putting together a package to keep Signatech in the WEC, time is of the essence. In order to be ready for the 2027 season, a deal must be struck by the end of August.
“I am more confident than I was before Le Mans, but I am not 100 per cent confident,” he concluded. “We have to continue to talk and study these opportunities. You can be sure we will push very hard to consider these opportunities.”
