Alpine will face stiff competition from the Japanese Toyota team.
PARIS, France—After its Formula 1 team launched the new 2021 challenger in England last week, the Alpine World Endurance Team debuted its Hypercar competitor, the A480. The launch came Tuesday in France.
The car is an upgrade from the LMP 2 class that triumphed in the 24 Hours of Lemans in 2018.
The new rendition is supplied with a chassis from the French company Oreca and is powered by a Gibson 4.5-liter V-8 engine.
Frenchmen Nicholas Lapierre, Mathieu Vaxiviere, and Brazilian Andre Negrao will drive the lone entry. Phillip Sinault returns for another season as Team Manager. Team sponsors include Elf Oil company, Matmut, EURODATACAR, Bell and Ross, Le Coq Sportif, and RCI Banque.
Philip Sinault (photo, Alpine)
Sinault is overjoyed with the idea that his team will be in a new class, but he also remains cautious about his chances for instant success. “Alpine’s history is paved with challenges,” he said. “Since 2013, we have been proving ourselves step by step and showing that we are capable of defending the Alpine colors at the highest level. We are approaching this program with humility and the desire to do well when the world of endurance racing is at a turning point in its history. We are determined to rise to this exhilarating and incredibly motivating challenge to once again anchor Alpine in the pantheon of French and international motorsport.”
New Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi is certain of a successful outcome. “Motorsport is inseparable from Alpine,” Rossi declared. “Since our return to endurance racing in 2013, this adventure has brought us magnificent emotions and fabulous victories. After eight successful years, it is now time to join the top category as it makes a new start. We will give our best in every race to make Alpine’s colors shine at the highest level of motorsport.”
To do what Rossi asserts will require beating the powerful, two-entry Japanese Toyota Team–the favorites to take the maiden title in this new class. The competition also includes another two-car entry, the U.S. team, Glickenhaus, with cars powered by a Ferrari engine.
The season will begin soon, April 25th-27th, at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Spa will host a six-hour race the following weekend.
