Alpine has continued the development of its A424 LMDh car with a fourth test session, and its first 30-hour endurance test, at Motorland Aragón, Spain. According to the team, the ambition of the test was to log 5,400km, and it came close, clocking up 5,027km.
Philippe Sinault, Alpine Endurance team manager, said, “We were keen to conduct this initial endurance session for the A424 in conditions as close as possible to what we would experience in a race. We simulated a full series of race sequences, including the start, safety car and FCY, which enabled everyone – drivers, mechanics and engineers – to acquire the operating modes and make them automatic.
“This type of session is obviously crucial for the car and all the members of the team who have to find their bearings. We’re definitely entering the active learning phase. We know there’s still a lot to learn when we get to Qatar at the end of February, but we’re doing everything we can to be as ready as possible.”
After the first eight hours with no problems other than a puncture, the team had to contend with turbo issues, oil and water leaks and an electrical problem, which briefly interrupted the A424’s fine progress as it completed the 30 hours.
In addition to assessing the car’s reliability, the team continued to work on the general setup, to run in representative race conditions and to improve its understanding of the Michelin tires, in terms of getting up to speed on cold tracks and multiple stints management.
At the same time, IMSA official tests took place at the Windshear wind tunnel in North Carolina with a second A424 as the first phase of the car’s homologation process.
Bruno Famin, VP Alpine Motorsports, said, “Frankly, all the team is delighted to have achieved this mileage in our first endurance test. It is a satisfaction that rewards the hard work of everyone.
“The main aim of the session was to test reliability by looking for weak points. We found several of them, which we will now have to address. And quickly as time is running out: there are 100 days until the start of the season in Qatar and we still have a huge amount to do, both in terms of reliability and even more so in terms of performance.
“We now need to analyze the data and learn everything we can from this session in order to make the most of the next one, which will be in Portimão in mid-December, to keep improving the car.”
