Another productive test has concluded for the Alpine LMDh ahead of its debut in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The A424 faced its first endurance test at Motorland Aragón, where development operations continued for four days.
In total, 5,027km were covered in 30 hours, just under the target of 5,400km that Team Signatech together with the transalpine brand had set itself due to some problems with the turbo and the electrical system, oil leaks and water, plus a puncture which after eight straight hours started to slow down operations.
Present on the track were Charles Miles, Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxivière and also a new face, Paul-Loup Chatin. In the meantime, in addition to continuing work on settings and tyres, a second chassis has been shipped to the United States for IMSA homologation tests.
Photo by: Alpine
Alpine A424
“We wanted to conduct this first endurance session with the A424 in conditions as similar as possible to those we would experience in the race. We simulated a complete series of sequences, including the start, the safety car and the Full Course Yellow, which allowed everyone – pilots, mechanics and engineers – to acquire the operating modes and make them automatic”, comments Philippe Sinault, Team Manager of Alpine Endurance.
“This type of session is obviously crucial for the car and for all team members to find their way. We are definitely entering the active learning phase. We know there is still a lot to learn when we arrive in Qatar at the end of February, but we are doing everything we can to be ready.”
Milesi summed up the test as follows: “It has been a pleasure to participate in the development of the car over the last few months. It is interesting to see how it has progressed compared to the first releases and how much there is still to do. I think we have done a good development job so far, with an endurance format, which was a great job for the whole team and above all an essential step for the future of the project.”
Photo by: Alpine
Alpine A424
Bruno Famin, Vice President of Alpine Motorsports, comments: “Frankly, the whole team is happy to have achieved this mileage in our first endurance test. It is a satisfaction that rewards everyone’s hard work. The main objective of the session was to to test reliability, looking for weak points”.
“We have found several, which we will now have to face. And quickly, because time is running out: there are 100 days left until the start of the season in Qatar and we still have a lot to do, both in terms of reliability and, even more so, in terms of performance”.
“Now we need to analyze the data and learn everything we can from this session to make the most of the next one, which will be held in Portimão in mid-December, to continue improving the car.”
#WEC #Alpine #puts #A424 #LMDh #test #Aragón