Alpine Elf Team

Alpine Elf Team

## **Overall results**

Alpine **Endurance** Team (formerly **known as Signatech Alpine** and **Signature Team**) is a French motorsport team competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Its headquarters are located in Bourges in the Cher.

In the LMP2 category, the team has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times (2016, 2018 and 2019) and has been crowned world champion twice (2016 and 2019). It is present in this category between 2011 and 2020 with Nissan then Alpine, then again in 2023 with an Oreca.

In 2021 and 2022, it is entered in the Hypercar category within the WEC, under the commercial name Alpine **Elf Endurance Team**.

## History

The company was created by Philippe Sinault whose younger brother Patrick Sinault is also promoter of the Formula Renault 2.0 WEC since 2008. and the Renault Clio Cup Elf.

The team also appeared as **ARTA-Signature** in Formula Renault V6 and has been associated with the British Ultimate Motorsport team in the World Series by Renault since 2008. It bears the name of **Signature-Plus** in Formula 3 Euroseries because of the involvement of the company Textilot which sponsors the team with its brand "Plus".

For the 24 2010 Hours of Le Mans, Signature-Plus has an agreement with AMR to use a Lola-Aston Martin B09/60. The drivers of this car are Vanina Ickx, Pierre Ragues and Franck Mailleux.

In 2011, Signature partnered with Nissan to wear the brand's colours, and signed GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez alongside Franck Mailleux and Soheil Ayari. The team finished 2nd at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category (9th overall) and won the ILMC LMP2 championship.

2012 will see the team enter two cars at Le Mans, again with Nissan. The number 26 driven by the trio Pierre Ragues, Nelson Panciatici and Roman Rusinov finished 10th overall and 4th in LMP2. The 23rd finished 16th in the scratch and 9th LMP2 with Jordan Tresson, Franck Mailleux and Olivier Lombard at the wheel.

In 2013, the team entered the Alpine A450 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Tristan Gommendy, Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues as drivers under the banner "Signatech-Alpine". Paul-Loup Chatin is a substitute driver for the 24 hours but participates in the preliminary test day. In the 2013 European Le Mans Series, Pierre Ragues and Nelson Panciatici won the 3 Hours of Budapest and brought the drivers' and teams' titles to the European Le Mans Series. The choice not to build a car but to take over an Oreca chassis by renaming it was motivated by both practical and financial reasons..

In 2014, the team retained its European title with the Alpine A450B driven by Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Oliver Webb. The season was marked by a victory at the Red Bull Ring and a third place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 category.

In 2015, Signatech-Alpine entered the Alpine A450B in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the crew Nelson Panciatici, Paul-Loup Chatin and Vincent Capillaire, the latter being replaced by Tom Dillmann for the last two races. The team won the 6 Hours of Shanghai in the LMP2 category.

In 2016, Signatech-Alpine entered two A460s in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the No. 35 driven by David Cheng, Ho-Pin Tung and Nelson Panciatici for the Baxi DC Racing team, as well as the No. 36, in its own colours, driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Gustavo Menezes and Stéphane Richelmi. The team scored its first victory with the No. 36 at the 6 Hours of Spa in the LMP2 category and repeated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the following month with the same No. 36. This crew will also win the 6 hours of the Nurburgring as well as the 6 hours of the Circuit of the Americas. With 4 victories and 3 podiums at the end of the season, the N° 36 crew won the world title in the LMP2 category.

In 2017, the team entered two Alpine A470s under its own name in the FIA WEC as Signatech-Alpine-Matmut, named after its title partner. No. 35 was entrusted to Nelson Panciatici, Pierre Ragues and André Negrão. The No. 36 is still in the hands of Nicolas Lapierre and Gustavo Menezes supported by Matt Rao, Romain Dumas will replace Nicolas Lapierre at the 6 hours of Spa and the 24 hours of Le Mans.

In September 2020, Alpine announces the commitment of the Signatech Alpine team in LMP1, the premier category of automotive endurance, for the 2021 season.. Under the *Alpine Endurance Team* banner, the team will enter a non-hybrid LMP1, an Oreca prototype based on the Rebellion R13.. The three drivers are announced in January 2021, they are Nicolas Lapierre, André Negrão and Matthieu Vaxiviere. In March, the A480 which will evolve in the Hypercar category is presented.

For 2023, Alpine is forced to leave the Hypercar category. The prototype entered during the two previous seasons under the name A480 is no longer compatible with the regulations in force. Decision is made to switch back to the LMP2 category with the entry of two Oreca 07s. To comply with the regulations of the category which require the presence of a Silver driver, new profiles are recruited. The n°36 is driven by a 100% French team with Matthieu Vaxiviere, Julien Canal and Charles Milesi. The No. 35 is more international with Andre Negrão (Brazil), Memo Rojas (Mexico) and Olli Caldwell (United Kingdom).

## **Cars:**

2023

#36 Oreca 07 - Gibson - (Drivers - VAXIVIERE M., CANAL J., MILESI C.)