With a combination of a track that was still dirty and fast-shifting weather conditions, the traditional Test Day ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours presented a number of challenges for the 64 cars that took part.
Right at the beginning of the morning’s four-hour session, Signatech-Alpine made the most of a clean line to demonstrate its raw pace and Paul-Loup Chatin rapidly emerged second on the LMP2 class timesheets with a lap time of 3m42.273s, an average speed of more than 220kph.
Just over an hour into the day, rain put a new perspective on proceedings, enabling Vincent Capillaire and subsequently Nelson Panciatici to get to grips with a damp track and try out both intermediate and ‘full-wet’ tyres.
Panciatici returned to the circuit at the start of the afternoon as it was drying out, but a combination of red flag stoppages and safety cars prevented the team from improving on Chatin’s early marker – particularly with the onset of another shower barely an hour later.
With 41 laps on the board in the morning and a further 24 in the afternoon, the Alpine A450b concluded the day with the second-fastest LMP2 lap, a mere three tenths-of-a-second short of the class benchmark.
Next on Signatech-Alpine’s calendar will be pre-race technical and administrative scrutineering on Monday, June 8, at Place de la République in the centre of Le Mans. The Alpine A450b will then return to the racetrack on Wednesday, June 10, for free practice and the first qualifying session. The 83rd edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours will officially rev into life at 3:00pm local time on Saturday, June 13.
Philippe Sinault, Signatech-Alpine Team Manager: “The changeable weather prevented us from completing our scheduled programme, but the information we gleaned from the pre-Le Mans Test Day is nonetheless extremely positive. The Alpine A450b is performing just as it did in 2014. It is nicely balanced in both wet and dry conditions. Vincent was able to run several laps on slick tyres, producing strong lap times. Our driver line-up is very evenly-matched, and it is encouraging to note that we are in the ballpark, with the second-fastest time in LMP2. Now, we turn our attentions towards our final preparations for Le Mans week.”
Paul-Loup Chatin: “We were able to show that we are competitive in all conditions. Okay, we’re not going to get carried away by setting the second-quickest lap time at the Test Day, but it represents a very solid starting point. What is particularly promising is that the Alpine A450b is easy to drive and feels very similar to last year. The weather conditions might have thrown us a curve ball, but that is all part-and-parcel of this sport.”
Nelson Panciatici: “Most of my running was in the rain, but we maintained a consistent rhythm throughout the day. Although you can’t read too much into the lap times today, we are clearly in good shape in that respect. We came away with a lot of useful data in the various conditions, even on slick tyres on a greasy track. We will see what the weather does during the race itself, but I hope it will stay dry.”
Vincent Capillaire: “We were strong in both the dry and the wet, which is very encouraging. On a personal level, I established a good feeling with the damper settings and we take away plenty of crucial information in spite of the difficult conditions. Overall, it was a very positive day."
