Nicolas Lapierre looks back on the Alpine A424’s first laps around the wheel

On March 2nd, the cards will be revealed. All manufacturers will no longer hide their hand and will have to give it their all. The opportunity to assess the performance level of all Hypercars. And this season, Alpine joins the party in the top category.

Nicolas Lapierre was logically selected by the French team and is reflecting on the development of the prototype, as he had already been part of the LMP1/Hypercar transition adventure.

How have these last months of trials been?

« Quite well, we’ve been driving for a while. We had a development phase of about six months on various circuits in Europe to find the best compromise in terms of settings. And also to improve reliability. Everything went as planned. The car is enjoyable to drive. We will continue our testing campaign.

You are not in the unknown…

No, it’s an environment that is familiar to me, whether it’s with Alpine or Oreca that made the chassis. We have a lot of success together.

Can we already identify the strengths and weaknesses of the car?

« Hypercars are completely different from what I have known so far. They have very different characteristics compared to LMP1 and LMP2 cars, so it’s difficult to say what the strengths and weaknesses of the car are. But it’s a well-born car. The engine part has been well managed by the teams at Viry-Châtillon. And Oreca has proven itself with Acura, so we were starting on good foundations.

It is the return of Alpine in the top category, with a Hypercar and not with an LMP1, what are you hoping for?

We hope to reach the middle of the standings. It remains a year of learning. Considering the competition, we approach it with humility. Our lineup looks great.

This year, Mick Schumacher joined the team, how has his integration been?

« It was Alpine’s wish for Mick to join the team. During the tests in Jerez to see if he was ready for endurance. Speed, we were sure he had it. He is a man who knows how to manage the race and the car. We had to see if he could change his mindset, because endurance is not like single-seaters. And he managed to get into that mood. In Qatar, his ability to handle traffic.

This year, the Hypercar field has expanded significantly. How do you judge the arrival of all these new manufacturers?

« The competition is fierce, that’s changing. As an endurance fan, I find it good. I am delighted, because I experienced a time with Audi, Peugeot, Porsche, Toyota, and then a somewhat dull period where we were a little bored. Fortunately, there was still the LMP2 to spice things up. But witnessing such an influx of manufacturers, it’s magical. Toyota has an impressive firepower, they continue to push, they are a safe bet on the grid. »

Ferrari was a surprise and delivered strong performances at Sebring and especially at Le Mans. Do you think they will be a contender for the title against Toyota?

Ferrari was the pleasant surprise last year. They managed to reach the level of Toyota. With an additional year of experience, they may become a title contender. Porsche has a car that has made good progress, as we saw at the Daytona 24 Hours.

Start in Qatar rather than in Sebring, it’s a small change…

« I have never been to Qatar, yet it’s hard to find a track where I haven’t raced (*laughs*). Sebring is a legendary place, but on the other hand, we are going back to Austin, so it’s good for the United States.

Le Mans still is the event of the season…

Yes, it’s incredible, there will be 23 Hypercars, it’s crazy. It remains one of the major goals of the season, our testing revolves around this race. It is one of the top priorities.

Interview by Morgan Parmentier and Bastien Dauby