French manufacturer Alpine has confirmed that it will enter two LMDh cars in the WEC’s top-tier Hypercar category from 2024, committing to the class for four years.
The car will be designed around an Oreca chassis with an Alpine engine developed in Viry-Châtillon, and benefits from the experience gained by Alpine with its F1 program. The Alpine F1 team, based in Enstone, UK, will also lend its experience to the car’s aerodynamic development, while Signatech, which runs Alpine’s grandfathered LMP1 chassis currently, will also operate the LMDh machinery.
Philippe Sinault, Signatech Alpine team principal, remarked, “It is a great pride for Signatech to have been chosen by Alpine for its arrival in LMDh. This represents the culmination of a common project that began eight years ago. More than ever, we have great ambitions, and are happy to take our collaboration to another dimension. After 32 years of career in motorsport, I can’t wait to challenge the most prestigious manufacturers on the planet, with Alpine, a brand that conveys passion and lives only for victory.”
Whether Alpine and Signatech will remain in the Hypercar class until 2024, or drop back down to LMP2, is yet to be revealed. Laurent Rossi, Alpine CEO, commented, “The Alpine Endurance program underlines the brand’s dedication and ambition in motorsport. By competing in both Formula 1 and endurance, Alpine will be one of the rare brands to be present in the two key disciplines of motorsport. We will make the most of Formula 1 and endurance through technical and technological synergies to gain the advantage over prestigious opponents.”
