WEC News: New tests and a new livery for the Alpine A424

For this third test session at Jerez (Spain), the A424 sported a brand new all-blue livery created by the Alpine’s design teams led by Antony Villain.
Under very unpredictable weather conditions, les Bleus continued to develop their Hypercar before the future homologation steps and the next test session in mid-November.
These tests allowed to improve the mastery of the different onboard systems, specifically hybridization and differential, while continuing to work with the Michelin tyres with the weather conditions helping to get the first setups in wet conditions.
The initial night runs were carried out, enabling key elements for racing prototypes such as headlights and cockpit lighting to be adjusted before the first endurance tests.
The teams kept working on aerodynamics, assessing various aero appendages in preparation for the forthcoming wind tunnel tests and the homologation of the A424.
More than 1,200 km were completed during the three days of testing by a trio of drivers well-known to the Alpine family, Charles Milesi, André Negrão and Nicolas Lapierre, after Mick Schumacher got its maiden Endurance run.
The A424 will return to Motorland Aragon in mid-November for day and night endurance testing before ending the year at Portimao (11-13 December).

Quotes:

Bruno Famin, VP Motorsport Alpine: “This session was a new step in the development of the car and this project. We improve with each run, and the good news is that there’s no bad surprise, but we still have a tremendous amount of work. Everyone is working hard to be firmly ready for the next steps. The first race in Qatar is just around the corner, and this will be the beginning of our racing learning process throughout the 2024 season.”

Philippe Sinault, Alpine Endurance Team Principal: “Overall, we are satisfied with our tests in Jerez. Despite the ever-changing weather conditions, we found the right running windows to optimise track time and keep improving the car. We made significant progress, particularly in aerodynamics, onboard systems, headlight settings and other essential lighting for night runs. These tests were also crucial for the teams, who have to learn to work together, and we were able to put in a little more practice in what were sometimes extremely challenging conditions over these three days. This is another step towards the forthcoming challenges, particularly in terms of regulations. The pressure is mounting by the minute, but we’re moving forward calmly, well aware of the road we still have to travel.”

Nicolas Lapierre, development driver: “The Hypercars are quite powerful and robust cars that require us to adapt our driving style. We have several areas to focus on, specifically tyre reaction and the energy recovery system. These two factors have an influence on the car’s balance, and we need to take the time to understand and master them so that we can homologate the car within a good performance window.”

Antony Villain, Alpine Design Director: “Our team was truly passionate about this project as the Hypercar regulations give a real opportunity for the manufacturers to express themselves with their design. The blue livery of the A424 highlights all the lines and curves which were attenuated and much less perceptible on the black version. We find curves that had disappeared from most racing cars, hence a certain sensuality. The brand’s historic emblem on the rear lights is also highly recognisable from a distance. All these elements have been integrated without compromising the ultimate goal: racing performance.”