361 days after the baptism of fire of its A424 Hypercar, Alpine Endurance Team returns to Qatar to launch its second campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship's premier category. As is tradition, the FIA WEC will be back in action for the Prologue, two days of testing that bring all the competitors together for their final preparations before the season-opening race at the same venue.
As last year, these rehearsals will occur at the Lusail International Circuit. Inaugurated in 2004, the 5.419 km track has 16 flowing turns, linked by one of the longest straight lines on the calendar (1,068 metres). The field will have a maximum of 14 hours of track time spread over four sessions on Friday and Saturday.
To take full advantage of these tests, Alpine Endurance Team will count on the experience accumulated last year by Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi in the #35 car and Mick Schumacher in the sister car, where he will be joined by Jules Gounon and Frédéric Makowiecki, who came third in the 2024 edition.
After testing at the beginning of February in Monza, the two A-arrow brand Hypercars arrived in Qatar on Wednesday morning, where they are now being prepared before their first laps at Lusail on Friday. The crews and technical team will then get back into their stride and check all the systems. Following this first phase, they will seek to deepen their knowledge to optimise the setup and use of the Michelin tyres on a track where wind gusts and sand can significantly impact track conditions.
After the Prologue, the team will analyse the data collected in preparation for the first challenge of the year: the Qatar 1812km (26-28 February).
To follow the Prologue, go to www.fiawec.com.
Bruno Famin, VP Alpine Motorsports
"After an intense first year of learning at all levels, we approach this new season with a stronger foundation and a better understanding of our package. Everyone in the team has worked tirelessly to learn from the past year and continue our progress. We know the challenge remains massive, but we now have more precise benchmarks and a well-oiled structure. We are looking forward to being back on track in Qatar. All the team members are fully committed to ensuring that this second season allows us to reach new heights. We are confident about our progress but remain incredibly humble knowing that the fantastic WEC field is increasingly competitive."
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
"Contrary to last year, when we were entirely new to the event and our Hypercar in competition, we are tackling this new season with solid benchmarks and a better understanding of our package. We have learned a lot but recognise how much work remains in the face of ever-increasing competition. We have worked hard on key aspects, particularly the engine environment and the car's performance. We hope our efforts will bear fruit and enable us to confirm the progress made in the second half of the 2024 season. In this respect, the Prologue is of particular importance. The fact that we will all be running together will give us an initial indicator, even if the conditions will not exactly reflect those of the race. We will also encounter an atypical track regarding tyre degradation, a crucial topic ahead of the long ten-hour race that will follow. Our drivers will also have the opportunity to get back a feel for the competition. Significant work awaits us to get this campaign off to a good start. We have made progress and we are all keen to confirm it on track.”
Prologue – Timetable (CET)
Friday 21 February
11:00-14:00: Test session 1
16:00-20:00: Test session 2
Saturday 22 February
10:00-13:00: Test session 3
15:00-19:00: Test session 4
