Метка: Fuji

Lamborghini can target WEC wins next year with car upgrades

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Former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat believes Lamborghini can challenge for victories in the World Endurance Championship in 2025 by upgrading the SC63 LMDh.

Lamborghini joined the Hypercar class of the WEC this year with a single car entered on a factory basis by Iron Lynx and raced by Kvyat, Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara.

The Italian marque’s best result of the year is a 10th-place finish, achieved at the Le Mans 24 Hours centrepiece race in June against a larger grid of 23 Hypercar entries.

Kvyat said he was content with the performance of Lamborghini in the WEC so far, but stressed that it needs to bring in new developments to the SC63 in order to fight at the front next year.

He revealed that the race to get the car homologated in time for its debut in the WEC and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in March meant that not all parts that went on the car were optimised for performance.

Thus, updates — potentially by invoking some of the five evo jokers allowed to Lamborghini under the initial five-year lifespan of the SC63 — are necessary over the winter break in order to close the gap to the frontrunners.

“There is a lot of work to do, but it’s our first year, we don’t have to forget it,” said Kvyat.

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“We had a very short testing programme before starting the season. A lot of areas that had to be homologated were quite raw and maybe not performance-optimised.

“We did a very clean Le Mans, which was very good for the team. And now our first Hyperpole [at Fuji] because we have always been missing pace [previously]. Finally, we were really able to tick that box.  

“It means we can do it and I would say [think about] what we can do with improvements. 

“We have to bring updates and then we can fight for top five and wins. I hope. That’s the goal, it’s my target. 

“I don’t give discounts to anyone. I’m demanding in that respect.”

The 2024 WEC will conclude with an eight-hour fixture at the Bahrain International Circuit, a track known for its abrasive nature and high-tyre degradation.

Lamborghini had shown encouraging signs at the previous round in Japan with Kvyat qualifying the car inside the top 10, but the 30-year-old is keeping a lid on his expectations for the title decider. 

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

#63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Mirko Bortolotti, Edoardo Mortara, Daniil Kvyat

Photo by: Andreas Beil

«We will see. Again, we are unfortunately in a place where we cannot say okay we are able to do things consistently, we are able to perform consistently. There are a lot of things that need to be analysed and so on why the performance is there [at Fuji] and so on. So we really need to be very careful with our analysis. 

“Of course, in Bahrain, we cannot have too many expectations. I do not expect anything different in terms of the performance package we have. So zero pressure.”

 



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Porsche’s Christensen wants to stay in WEC, despite IMSA switch speculation

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Porsche driver Michael Christensen said he would like to remain in the World Championship next year despite speculation linking him with a move to the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

Porsche revealed last month that it would be making changes to its factory crews for its third season with the 963 LMDh in the Hypercar and GTP classes of WEC and IMSA respectively.

These could include potential driver swaps between the two series, similar to how Dane Cameron and Matt Campbell switched positions ahead of 2024.

There also remains a possibility of Porsche downsizing its WEC line-ups to run two drivers in each car for the six-hour races that make up half of next year’s eight-round calendar.

Amid a possible shuffle in drivers, including rumours that Christensen could be moved to IMSA, the Le Mans 24 Hours class winner has said he would prefer to remain in the WEC in 2025 for what would be his 10th straight year in the world championship.

He explained that familiarity with the WEC side of the Porsche Penske Motorsport operation, as well as having an automatic entry to Le Mans, were key reasons why staying put is more enticing to him than returning to the series where he spent a single season racing the Porsche 911 RSR in the GTLM class a decade ago.

“My preference has always been WEC, I really like that [series],” the Dane told Motorsport.com.

“I did race in IMSA in 2014, my first year of the factory driver contract and I liked it. I really think IMSA is cool as well, but I felt more at home in WEC.

Christensen raced in IMSA during the 2014 season

Christensen raced in IMSA during the 2014 season

Photo by: Richard Dole

“The way the championship is built up, it is [based] in Europe, the race tracks, the team and the way pitstops are done, all these things are more familiar [to me].

“On top of it, and probably the most important [thing] is that you have the security to do Le Mans. You are working with the [same] team in Le Mans that you are racing with [in all other] all races as well. So, of course, that’s why I prefer to do WEC.

“Speaking about next year, there has been no communication really between us, or me at least and Porsche. So far they have not communicated anything.

“The only thing I know is the rumours which are around the paddock, but whether that is true or not, no idea.”

Christensen and his team-mates in the #5 Porsche, Campbell and Frederic Makowiecki, currently sit fifth in the drivers’ standings heading to the Bahrain finale in November.

The championship is led by the sister Porsche crewed by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer, with the trio holding a 35-point lead with only 39 up for grabs in the bonus-points decider.

Porsche is yet to announce when it would be invoking first of the five evo jokers allowed to it under the original five-year rule cycle of the 963 LMDh.

A planned upgrade of its hybrid engine, which centred on a switch to a 90° crankshaft from a 180°, was abandoned after it was able to get through this year’s Le Mans without any major reliability issues.

#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, Frederic Makowiecki

#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, Frederic Makowiecki

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The German manufacturer heads the standings in both the WEC and IMSA, as their respective seasons draw to a close in November and October respectively.

Christensen said there are still some areas where Porsche can improve the 963, highlighting a straightline speed deficit at Circuit de la Sarthe that contributed to it finishing outside the podium in the WEC’s centrepiece event this year.

“There are always things to update, there are always things to improve and we also saw that early in the project and still have some things which are not solved and which can’t be solved with set-up,” he explained.

“So for sure we have some things that I believe we should focus on to try to improve. Whether this is possible or not in terms of regulations, I have no idea. This is the management who knows that.

“But for sure we have things to improve and this you can say wish more for, Le Mans top speed for example.

“I can’t tell why we are not good enough there, but we lack a lot [of stop speed].

“And when you look at the data from Le Mans, of course it’s just one race but it’s the biggest race and with a lot of points, so that and some [other] mechanical stuff for detail.

“A few things we should be focused on. I’m not sure if it is possible to change. There is always something to improve.”



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Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Lapierre retires with immediate effect

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Four-time Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Nicolas Lapierre has retired from the cockpit with immediate effect to concentrate on running his Cool Racing team.

The announcement from the Frenchman, 40, on Wednesday means that last month’s Fuji round of the World Endurance Championship, in which he finished third with Alpine, was his final race. 

“It is time for me to hang up my helmet and end this chapter of my life,” said Lapierre in a short video post on Instagram. “It was great to finish this journey on the podium and spray the Champagne once more. It was an honour for me to live for my passion, with so many years doing what I love.”

Lapierre said that it was now “time for a new chapter of my life on the other side of the pitwall”. He added: “I love it as much as I loved racing, so I won’t be far away.”

Nicolas Lapierre, Alpine A424

Nicolas Lapierre, Alpine A424

Photo by: Alpine

Lapierre will be focusing on the CLX Motorsport operation he founded with Alexandre Coigny in 2020. The team runs under the Cool Racing banner and is based in Annecy in France, just across the border from Geneva. It has competed in LMP2 and LMP3 in the European Le Mans Series, as well as at the Le Mans 24 Hours in P2. 

Lapierre took the opportunity in his video statement to thank multiple players from a career in which he was a race winner in GP2 and A1 Grand Prix and in the WEC with both Toyota and Alpine. 

Among them were Philippe Sinault, who had a role in some of his biggest successes in both single-seaters and sportscars.

Sinault runs the Signatech team that has masterminded Alpine’s endurance racing campaigns since 2013 and its forerunner, Signature, for which Lapierre won the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix in 2003. 

He also singled out Jean-Paul Driot, the late founder and boss of the DAMS team.

“I am thinking also of Jean-Paul Driot; he left too early,” said Lapierre. “With him and his team I could get my first GP2 win in 2007 — he definitely changed my career.”

Nicolas Lapierre, DAMS, crosses the finish line to take victory

Nicolas Lapierre, DAMS, crosses the finish line to take victory

Also mentioned were ORECA boss Hugues de Chaunac, who gave Lapierre his first chance in sportscar racing in ’07 and with whom he won the 2011 Sebring 12 Hours aboard a semi-works Peugeot 908 HDi LMP1. 

Lapierre’s contract with ORECA smoothed his way into Toyota’s LMP1 line-up on the rebirth of the WEC in 2012 because the French organisation was part of the Japanese manufacturer’s race set-up until the end of 2020. 

He would go on to win six WEC races with Toyota before being controversially sacked mid-season in 2014 after crashing at both Le Mans and the Austin round, even though he was on slick tyres in heavy rain both times. 

Lapierre paid tribute to former ORECA technical director David Floury, who now fulfils the same role at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, for his encouragement at that time. 

“He was a very important person in my career and also my life,” he said. “I was probably at the lowest point of my racing career: I was very close to stopping racing and he was the one who brought me back.”

Lapierre’s announcement comes at a time when Cool is known to be one of the candidates to partner with Hyundai Motorsport as it gears up for its entry into the prototype ranks with a new LMDh under the South Korean manufacturer’s premium Genesis brand. 

It is expected that Lapierre’s place in the #36 Alpine A424 LMDh alongside Mick Schumacher and Matthieu Vaxiviere for the 2024 WEC finale in Bahrain will be taken by Jules Gounon. 

Gounon is Alpine’s official reserve driver and was brought into the line-up for Fuji as part of a plan agreed before the start of the season to increase his experience in the Hypercar division. 

He replaced Paul-Loup Chatin and the same agreement called for him to step in for Bahrain in place of Charles Milesi, who has been Alpine’s standout performer during its move towards the front of the Hypercar field since Le Mans.

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Why Rossi believes he has plenty of time to achieve his car racing ambitions

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In a month’s time, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will take another step in his glittering motorsports career when he gets his first run in BMW’s LMDh prototype in the World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain.

It seems inconceivable that the seven-time MotoGP world champion, who has since tried his hand at rallying and currently competes in the World Endurance Championship, is eligible for a rookie test, but he will drive the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 November, a day after the conclusion of the 2024 WEC season in the Gulf nation.

It could have been an altogether different ascent to the premier class had he fulfilled his boyhood dream of racing in Formula 1.
In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Rossi, 45, speaks about his post-MotoGP racing career — and how he would have loved to have raced in F1 for Ferrari — and his plans for the future.

«My dream was to race in cars and F1,» he says, «also because my dad was a motorcycle racer, but his career was full of injuries, so he was afraid for me. After motorcycles he switched to cars, as I am doing now, so he pushed me to start with karting because he thought it was a little less dangerous in cars.»

Rossi first tested a Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano in April 2004 and took to the track wearing one of Michael Schumacher’s spare helmets rather than one of his own. He earned the respect of Schumacher, who backed the Italian to swap codes and go from MotoGP to F1.


Rossi had a similar mid-season shakedown at Fiorano in 2005 before a major pre-2006 season test session at Valencia, driving a V10-engined car, albeit detuned. This was his crack at the big time. With Schumacher ageing, Rossi was a serious consideration for Ferrari but he was also in a contract year year himself and decided to re-sign with Yamaha to remain in MotoGP. 

Valentino Rossi tests for Ferrari

Valentino Rossi tests for Ferrari

Photo by: Mark Capilitan

He added: «I tried to race in MotoGP as much as possible because I didn’t want to quit when I was at the top, I preferred to continue until I couldn’t take it anymore. For me, the passion for motorcycles has always been great and I didn’t want to have any regrets about retiring prematurely when I could still give something. I was in no hurry, and once my MotoGP career was over I was ready to get in the car.


«In my head I always had the idea of racing in a car once the adventure in motorcycles was over. After testing with Ferrari there was the possibility of quitting earlier and moving to F1, but I decided to stay in motorcycles and honestly, it was the right choice because I knew I was still strong, while in cars it was a leap of faith.

«However, during the year I always tried to find some time to learn how to race in the car as well. For many years I took part in the Monza Rally Show, since it was held at the end of the MotoGP season.
At first my idea was really to race in rallies, so I also did two WRC rallies, with Subaru in New Zealand 2006 and with Ford at RAC 2009.

«But I realised that rallies are something else and I like racing on the track better. I’m better at it and then it’s more like motorcycles. 
So I tried to figure out what I could do, tried different things and GT3 seemed the best. 

«I raced with Kessel Racing’s Ferrari in the Blancpain at Monza and Nurburgring 2012, but after that, I didn’t have any more time. When I could, I raced in other events, such as the Gulf 12H, always to keep myself active.»

One wonders what would have happened had he decided to focus on F1 rather than MotoGP following that pre-season test in 2006, but what is apparent is that there are no regrets or lamenting missed opportunities.
Instead, he is now focused on reaching the top of the WEC and the rookie test in Bahrain will see him take the next step. Yet rather like his F1 aspirations in the past, he is keeping his expectations firmly in check. 


#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

«I would love to race in Hypercar,» he says, «because it is the MotoGP of prototypes, but it is not a goal I have set. I would be fine with becoming a strong driver in GT3, then of course, if a possibility emerges, I don’t back down.»

Rossi is now a father and his partner Francesca Sofia Novello is expecting their second child in the new year. He has also spoken about limiting his racing commitments but that does not mean he sees himself giving up on racing entirely.

«I would like to race at least another 10 years with cars,» he says. «That is the goal, then it is true that in life there are never certainties, but I would like to race for a long time. 


«With these cars, the driving is very technical, but physically, even if you are not younger, it is not a disadvantage. That’s why I think I can go on for several years, mainly because I enjoy it and have a lot of fun, which is key. That’s what we’re here for!»



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Rossi could quit WEC to downscale racing programme in 2025

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Seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi could quit the World Endurance Championship to focus on the GT World Challenge Europe as he looks to downscale his racing in 2025.

The BMW factory driver has explained to Motorsport.com that he is planning to cut back on the number of races he contests from this year’s 16 events primarily for family reasons, which include the imminent birth of his second child.

This represents a shift in his position from earlier in 2024, when he outlined a desire to continue racing with the WRT team in both WEC and the Endurance Cup leg of the GTWCE for a second season.

“I realised that 16 races is too many and I am in the same situation as in MotoGP,” said the 45-year-old Italian, who will be going into his fourth full season of car racing after his retirement from two wheels.

“I’m tired and my partner, Francesca, gets angry because I am always on the road.

“For 2025 my goal is to run 10 to 11 races: I will have to decide whether to do GTWCE or WEC.

“One is a world championship, so winning the title has special prestige, but in the Stephane Ratel Organisation races [GTWCE] the racing is really good with only GT3 cars.”

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Augusto Farfus

#46 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Ahmad Al Harthy, Valentino Rossi, Maxime Martin, #31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3: Darren Leung, Sean Gelael, Augusto Farfus

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Rossi’s expression of a desire to reduce his racing activities is not new, but he had previously described the 13 races of a programme combining WEC and the long-distance GTWCE events as “a really good number”.

He revealed at the same time that he was unlikely to contest the Bathurst 12 Hours round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in February 2025 as he has done for the past two seasons because it will conflict with his 46th birthday. It will be a significant celebration, he pointed out, because his race number throughout his MotoGP career was #46.

Now he has said that his 2025 season “will start in Bathurst”.

WRT boss Vincent Vosse clarified Rossi’s position to Motorsport.com: “Vale wants to reduce his number of races and the only way to do that is to do just one championship.

“It is a decision that has to be taken: does he do WEC or GTWCE? It’s something that is up in the air and really isn’t clear at the moment.

“There are many factors, and one is the BMW’s performance in the WEC, which hasn’t been what we were expecting, and another is Valentino’s FIA driver categorisation.”

Rossi was downgraded from gold to silver status for this year, paving the way for his move into the WEC in LMGT3, where each car must run a bronze and a second non-professional who is usually a silver.

#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi

#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Raffaele Marciello, Maxime Martin, Valentino Rossi

Photo by: SRO

Asked whether a GTWCE campaign could expand to include the five events of the Sprint Cup in which Rossi is a two-time race winner, Vosse replied: “That is all part of the discussion and we don’t have a clear feeling yet.”

With the addition of the WEC to his programme this year, Rossi contested only two of the Sprint weekends, at Brands Hatch courtesy of his love for the circuit and his home race at Misano.

Rossi has unilaterally announced that he will be driving BMW’s M Hybrid V8 Hypercar class contender at the WEC rookie test in Bahrain on 3 November.

BMW and WRT have yet to confirm the date of his promised run in the LMDh, though have clarified that it will be before the end of the year.

Vosse said: “It looks like he will drive the prototype before the end of the year as we said, and the best opportunity for that looks like the rookie test.”

Rossi stressed that racing the LMDh in the future “is not the goal I have set” but hinted at a desire to race in the top class of the WEC.

“I would love to race in Hypercar because it is the MotoGP of prototypes,” he said. “Maybe in the future there will be a place in Hypercar — let’s see.”

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BMW needs upgrades to fight regularly at the front in WEC next year

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BMW driver Dries Vanthoor believes the German manufacturer needs to upgrade its LMDh car in order to be a consistent frontrunner in the World Endurance Championship in 2025.

The BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh has achieved limited success since it made its debut in the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023, while an expansion to the Hypercar class of the WEC this year has also been only modestly fruitful.

BMW has so far been reluctant to make use of the so-called evo jokers on the M Hybrid V8, with motorsport boss Andreas Roos ruling out any updates for the foreseeable future at Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

However, Vanthoor believes there are some weaknesses which BMW needs to address over the winter in order to make the car more competitive in the WEC next year.

“I do think it’s necessary [to use evo jokers] but we are using them wisely as we only have a few in the homologation of the car,” the Belgian told Motorsport.com ahead to the Fuji race, where he finished second along with team-mates Marco Wittmann and Raffaele Marciello.

“We just want to use them as best as we can. We really use them for the big aspects of our car.”

Prior to BMW’s breakthrough result in Japan, the WRT-run factory team had achieved a best finish of sixth at the Imola round of the championship in May.

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Asked if he was confident about regularly fighting at the front next year if the BMW LMDh remained in its current specification, Vanthoor replied: “No, I do think we need some upgrades to be able to do that and that is what we have to work on now.

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“Let’s see which [upgrade] we have to do first but I do think we need to do that.

“The people who are working in those areas together with us as drivers, doing feedback back and forth, know well enough which areas we have to improve on and probably will go in that area.”

As with other LMDh and LMH manufacturers, BMW is allowed a total of five evo jokers over the initial five-year lifespan of the M Hybrid V8.

Not every change made to the car counts towards an evo joker, and manufacturers aren’t required to disclose the use of their allocation publicly.

In the WEC, evo jokers have to be applied for to the rulemakers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the FIA, and are allowed at their discretion.

Vanthoor identified brakes as one area where BMW needs to work on over the winter to improve performance in race trim.

“We have had quite some brake issues the whole season,” the two-time Nurburgring 24 Hour winner revealed. “It’s a big topic for us, which hurts us a lot especially in the races.

“I think on one lap in qualifying, you don’t really feel this issue because nothing happens.

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

#15 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, Marco Wittmann

Photo by: Andreas Beil

“But in the long run it always tends to hurt us a lot. This for sure is the top three of which we should do first. It will be one of them.”

BMW, however, maintains that it doesn’t need to use any evo jokers in order to improve its prospects in the WEC. Its motorsport chief Roos insists that there is a lot of untapped potential in the M Hybrid V8 that the team can extract before it can consider bringing any updates.

He said: “You see that we still make progress. When you see where we were in Qatar [in March] and where we are now getting, you clearly see that there is a lot of potential in the car.

“This is what I always said when there comes up a topic about jokers. As long as we don’t extract the full potential of the car there is no need to take a joker.

“I still believe we have potential in the car which we still have to get out of it. As long as we can do this [there is no need for evo jokers]. We at the moment still have hard work to do and we will get better and better.”

BMW managed to follow up its podium at the Fuji WEC round with a 1-2 finish in the six-hour IMSA enduro at Indianapolis on 22 September.

It marked the second success for the German marque with the M Hybrid V8 after inheriting victory at Watkins Glen last year following disqualification for on-the-road winner Porsche.



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Alpine ‘pushing’ to retain Mick Schumacher in WEC line-up next year

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Alpine says it is doing all it can to retain Mick Schumacher as a part of its Hypercar line-up in the World Endurance Championship next year.

Schumacher joined Alpine at the start of its new LMDh programme this year to race the #36 Alpine A424 LMDh alongside Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere in the WEC, having spent the 2023 season on the sidelines after being ousted by Haas in Formula 1.

But the German driver still harbours aspirations of racing in F1 and has made it clear on multiple occasions that his priority for 2025 is to be back on the grand prix grid.

In response to speculation about his future, Philippe Sinault, team principal of Signatech Alpine, says the French marque is in active dialogue with the 25-year-old to convince him to stay at the squad for a second term.

Asked how confident he was about retaining Schumacher next year, he told Motorsport.com: “It’s difficult to say. I hope [he stays].

“We push and we say to him immediately that for us it’s a really really key point that he must stay with us.

“But nothing [is] in my hand. Formula 1 is still Formula 1. We have to wait again. I hope in the short term we have some news about that.”

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere, #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Will Stevens, Callum Ilott, Norman Nato

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Nicolas Lapierre, Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere, #12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963: Will Stevens, Callum Ilott, Norman Nato

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Alpine itself considered Schumacher for a seat at its F1 team next year as it debated a replacement for Haas-bound Esteban Ocon, but eventually chose its junior driver Jack Doohan to partner Pierre Gasly.

Alpine motorsport boss Bruno Famin, who has a management role at both its F1 and WEC programmes, said he was impressed by Schumacher’s performance this year and is hoping he will continue with the squad in 2025.

“I’m very happy with Mick. He has done a very good job,” Famin told Motorsport.com.

“His adaptation to endurance has been incredible, very fast, very good, everybody knows that for a single-seater driver it’s not easy.

“And especially for him at the beginning of the year he was really focused on how to get a seat in Formula 1 and he is still on that.

“But if you put that aside, he is really focused on the programme. We saw again in Austin how fast he was during the race.

“I’m very happy with Mick, if we have the opportunity to continue together we are really happy.”

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere

#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Mick Schumacher, Matthieu Vaxiviere

Photo by: Andreas Beil

Schumacher’s chances of making an F1 comeback in the short-term appear to be slim, with only Sauber having a vacant seat for 2025.

Asked what Alpine can do to retain Schumacher’s services next year, Famin said: “To be better.

“It’s not only what the team can do, it’s [about his personal choice].

“We all know that Mick’s number one priority would be if he had the possibility [to return to F1], but we know that there is only one [seat] left to have the opportunity to go back to Formula 1.

“Let’s see what we do, what will be the final decision. From our side we will be happy [if he stays].”

Both Famin and Sinault stated that they hope Schumacher will extend his relationship with Alpine if he is unable to find a way to return to F1 next year.

Sinault also added: “I think we did a good job together. I’m so happy about his level of performance, his pace, his commitment, I think he is quite happy about the job also.

“If he is not in F1, we are closer to continue to work together.”

Schumacher: Japan podium doesn’t change anything

Schumacher, Lapierre and Vaxiviere finished third in this month’s penultimate round of the season at Fuji, securing the first podium finish for the Alpine A424.

The result also marked Schumacher’s first visit to the rostrum in any category since his title-winning campaign in Formula 2 in 2020, having never finished higher than sixth in his two years in F1.

But the 25-year-old says Alpine’s breakthrough result in Japan will not have any bearing on where he races in 2025.

«Right now we’re just happy with the podium,” he said. “Whatever happens for the future, will be decided at some point still this year, hopefully.

“As soon as I know what I will be doing, I will for sure put a press release out there and let you all know.

“But definitely the hope is for Formula 1, because that is what I dreamt of since I was a little boy. But it definitely feels great to be in WEC.»



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Jota set to skip Bahrain WEC test as focus switches to factory Cadillac programme

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Jota is not expected to take part in the World Endurance Championship’s post-season test in Bahrain as it switches focus to its factory programme with Cadillac.

Team principal Dieter Gass revealed that Jota is “not very likely” to participate in the official one-day test at the Bahrain International Circuit on 3 November, which follows the final round of the season in the Gulf nation.

This means the Bahrain 8 Hours is set to be the last time the Porsche 963 will run in the colours of Jota’s title sponsor, Hertz.

The decision will allow it to pay more attention to its preparation for the 2025 WEC season, when it will replace Chip Ganassi Racing as Cadillac’s factory team in the series.

The British outfit, which wrapped up the World Cup for Hypercar teams at Fuji this month, is also in talks with the General Motors brand to privately run the car before the end of the year.

Such a test will take place at some point after the Bahrain season finale, by which time Cadillac will also have concluded its partnership with Ganassi in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

“We are discussing that [but] it’s not finalised yet,” Gass told Autosport when asked when the team will be able to run the Caddy LMDh.

“Before the end of the season [in November], not. [Before] the end of the year, I hope so.”

Gass explained that there are a number of hurdles that Jota and Cadillac need to overcome to organise a test together this year.

“It’s more a matter of periphery [than anything else],” he said. “You should be able to have a car, but we need to have all the tools to be able to run, and spare parts and everything. 

“So that needs preparation and then we can start looking into it.”

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Jota has been running the Porsche 963 LMDh on a customer basis since 2023 and scored an outright win at Spa in May this year en route to sealing the championship for privateer Hypercar teams with a round to spare.

The news about Jota becoming Cadillac’s new factory team for WEC was made official in August, when it was also announced that the team would enter two examples of the V-Series.R in 2025.

Gass added that there will be no contractual issues with Porsche regarding testing as Jota prepares to begin a new chapter in its illustrious history with General Motors.

“What we need to look at is the sporting regulations and what you are allowed to test and things like that,” he said. “With Porsche, I don’t foresee any problems.”

Sharing engineers

Cadillac has a strong presence in IMSA, where both Ganassi and Action Express Racing run one example each of the V-Series.R in the GTP class.

The North American championship will stage its final round of the season, Petit Le Mans, at Road Atlanta on October 12, three weeks before WEC’s own title decider in Bahrain.

Asked if there is a plan to send Jota engineers to an IMSA race to get an early understanding of how the V-Series.R works, Gass said: “Very possible that something like this is happening. [With] tests [yes], we need to see [if it is possible in] races [as well].

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

“Again it all needs to be confirmed but I think there is going to be an exchange of personnel as well [and] potentially American engineers [will] join us. 

“For us with the personnel restrictions maybe it’s not as easy as going to IMSA [as IMSA engineers going to WEC, so that we don’t get into troubles with the regulations there.

“But for testing and things like that, that’s likely to happen.”

In IMSA, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti will leave the Acura stable in 2025 to replace Ganassi as one of Cadillac’s factory teams.

The outfit, which has a long history with the American brand, will field two entries in GTP next year, while AXR will continue to run a single car.



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Alpine to continue to use Viry factory for WEC irrespective of F1 engine decision

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Alpine’s factory effort in the World Endurance Championship will not be affected by any potential changes to its Formula 1 engine programme.

Bruno Famin, vice president of motorsport at Alpine, has stated that the Renault brand will continue to build and maintain engines for its A424 LMDh car at Viry-Chatillon in France for the foreseeable future.

Renault’s Viry factory has been building engines for grand prix racing since 1979, but the French manufacturer is debating whether to abandon its F1 power unit programme in time for the new regulations in 2026.

Although a decision is not expected to be made until 30 September as per an internal target set by the company, the prospect of Renault stopping production of F1 engines at Viry to turn Alpine into a Mercedes customer team has not been received well by employees, who have staged multiple protests in recent weeks.

But «whatever happens» to its long-running F1 engine programme, the Viry facility will continue to play an important role in Alpine’s Hypercar team according to Famin.

«We are already using the facility for WEC engines. [In] 2025 we continue with the Formula 1 engine,» he said.

«We are using the facility, the people, the skills, the resources we have in Viry to support and develop the WEC programme for sure and we will continue [doing that in the future].»

The Alpine A424 is powered by a heavily modified version of Mecachrome’s 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 engine that is also used in Formula 2. This is paired with a spec hybrid system that is common to all LMDh cars and is supplied jointly by Bosch, Xtrac, Williams Advanced Engineering.

#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Charles Milesi

#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen, Charles Milesi

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

More testing in 2025

Alpine has completed limited testing on its return to the Hypercar class with the all-new A424 in 2024.

It was the only manufacturer in the category not to take part in a collective test at Austin in July ahead of this month’s Lone Star Le Mans event.

However, Famin has revealed that Alpine will ramp up testing in 2025 in order to use its entire allocation.

«The regulations limit the number of days you can test and the number of days depends if you are a manufacturer, but [also how many] customer [cars you have],» he explained.

«Some competitors have quite a lot of customer cars and they are allowed to make more tests. They also have double programmes with IMSA and WEC.

«We go step by step and the goal for next year will be for sure to make the full use of all the quota in terms of the number of test days that we are gonna have.»

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