Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale.
Second at Spa-Francorchamps and third at Portimão, Alpine Elf Matmut #endurance Team had every intention of continuing its streak of top-three finishes in Italy while using the maiden edition of the 6 Hours of #Monza as a dress rehearsal for Le Mans.
Among the front-runners from free practices despite being hit by another competitor in FP2, Les Bleus fine-tuned the setup of their A480 to the specificities of the "Temple of Speed", which shares similarities to the Circuit de la Sarthe. Qualifying was entrusted to #nicolaslapierre, who overcame a tricky session interrupted by a red flag to set the third-best time, less than a quarter of a second off the pole.
On Sunday, André Negrão got behind the wheel of the A480 under sunny skies. The Brazilian put in a strong start and overtook the Toyota of Sébastien Buemi before the Swiss driver answered back immediately. Dealing with the traffic that exposed him to the n°709 Glickenhaus, the team took advantage of the first full course yellow to double the stint of André Negrão before he handed over to Matthieu Vaxiviere.
Incisive straight away, the Frenchman moved up to second place after the problem encountered by the #8 Toyota. Although he initially extended his advantage over the Glickenhaus, the intervention of the safety car due to debris on the track benefited his pursuers before #nicolaslapierre took over shortly after the three-hour mark.
As was the case in qualifying, #nicolaslapierre set an excellent pace that allowed him to catch up to the leaders. The battle for victory became a duel with less than two hours to go as the Alpine took the lead after the technical issues of the n°7 Toyota and the n°709 Glickenhaus.
With different strategies, the Alpine and the Toyota exchanged first place as they refuelled and changed drivers. With Mathieu Vaxiviere in the car, Alpine Elf Matmut #endurance Team made its last stop with 40 minutes remaining but their rivals took advantage of the final full course yellow to make a “free” pit-stop giving them a big enough lead to control the race just until the chequered flag was brandished.
Mathieu Vaxiviere, who was almost a minute behind his rival, had no opportunity to make up the deficit in the final 20-minute sprint. Despite another flawless race for the team and its trio of drivers, the A480 had to settle for second place, just over a minute behind the winners. This result sees Alpine Elf Matmut #endurance Team strengthen its second place in the championship while Mathieu Vaxiviere, André Negrão and #nicolaslapierre are now just 15 points from the leaders in the drivers' classification.
The next event on the calendar is shaping up to be historic for Alpine, with the brand founded by Jean Rédélé returning to the top-flight category of one of motor racing’s most prestigious events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (15-22 August).
Further information in the press release to download
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