Nicolas Lapierre has announced that he is retiring from racing and will not take part in the final race of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain.
With a video message published on his social pages, the French veteran wanted to thank all those who supported him in a very long career where he gained a lot of satisfaction in endurance races.
Placing his helmet in the display case at home where he keeps all those worn in his career, the Frenchman announced that the 6h of Fuji was the last stage of his career as a driver, also crowned by a good third place achieved in the HYPERCAR Class, the first with the Alpine A424.
Podium: third place #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere
Photo credit: JEP / Motorsport Images
“Today is a very important day for me, because I want to announce that the 6h of Fuji was my last race as a driver. It’s time to take off my helmet and put an end to this chapter of my life.”
“It was very nice to end this adventure with a podium and spray champagne for one last time. For me it was an honor to live this passion for years doing what I love and for this I would like to especially thank several people.”
Lapierre, who this year shared the wheel of the #36 Alpine with Mick Schumacher and Matthieu Vaxiviere, will be replaced by Jules Gounon for the final round scheduled to take place in Bahrain in early November.
In the meantime, the Frenchman will dedicate himself to following Alpine and also his own team, Cool Racing, with the role of team principal which particularly motivates him as he himself was keen to underline, without forgetting the list of ritual thanks.
#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre
Photo credit: JEP / Motorsport Images
“The first thanks goes to my father, who has always been my biggest fan and the one who put me in a go-kart when I was 9 years old, always being close to me. It’s thanks to him that I was able to start this sport.”
“And then my wife, who has always supported me in every challenge. Nothing would have been possible without the help of Régis Dumange and his family: I am proud to have brought the Plus logo back to my helmet. I also thank Philippe Sinault and the his team, I remember the first race together in Macao in 2003 in F3, without forgetting what we experienced together in Alpine, getting on the podium at Le Mans in a moment that I will never forget.”
“A special thought goes to Jean-Paul Driot, who left too soon; thanks to him I was able to achieve my first victory in GP2 in 2007 and he made sure I could change as a man. Another very important one in my career was Hugues De Chaunac, the person who introduced me to endurance in 2007, the year in which I participated in the 24h of Le Mans for the first time. I ran many races with Oreca and spent wonderful moments with this team. such as the success at the 12h of Sebring in 2011”.
“I also thank David Floury, who played an important role in my career and also in life, such as in 2015, when I probably reached the lowest point of my career. I was very close to stopping and he brought me back on track by giving me a great hand.”
“Thanks to FIA, ACO and LMEM because I have raced most of your races during my career and it has been a pleasure. And then also to everyone I have met in the world, such as commissioners, fans. Thank you!”
“Now it’s time to face a new chapter in my life, on the other side of the wall. Something I love as much as I loved running, so I won’t be that far away from you all.”
In his career Lapierre has competed in 72 races in the FIA WEC, achieving 4 victories in the LMP2 Class at Le Mans and two titles in this category, as well as collecting 46 podiums and contributing to the successes of Toyota and Alpine as the main brands for which he was the representative.
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