Alpine Motorsports has officially kicked off its highly anticipated 2024 season with an impressive Motorsport Launch at its Enstone site in the United Kingdom. The event showcased the team's commitment to excellence in both the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Alpine's Vice President of Motorsports, Bruno Famin, took center stage to present the exciting developments for both the Formula 1 and World Endurance Championship programs. The launch brought together media, sponsors, and special guests, creating an electrifying atmosphere as the team unveiled its ambitious plans for the upcoming season.
The Formula 1 segment of the launch provided insights into the BWT Alpine F1 Team's preparations for the record-breaking 24-race season. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, the dynamic French duo, shared their aspirations as they gear up for their second consecutive campaign with the team. Accompanying them is Reserve Driver Jack Doohan, adding depth to the formidable driver lineup.
Technical Director Matt Harman delved into the aggressive design philosophy behind the A524, the team's challenger for the 2024 season. The car, set to make its debut in Bahrain later this month, promises to maximize potential across the next two seasons, showcasing the team's commitment to innovation and performance.
The A524's livery, inspired by contemporary artist Felipe Pantone, combines traditional Alpine blue with vibrant patterns, creating a visually striking and unique identity. BWT Alpine F1 Team emphasized the continued support from title partner BWT and other premium partners, including bp, Castrol, Renault E-Tech, and the new-for-2024 timing partner, H. Moser & Cie.
In the World Endurance Championship segment, Alpine enters the Hypercar category as a factory team with the A424. The two-car lineup features the exciting addition of Mick Schumacher, marking his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Schumacher joins experienced drivers Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere in car #36, while car #35 boasts new signings Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin alongside young talent Charles Milesi. Jules Gounon serves as the reserve driver for the 2024 season.
The A424's livery, also influenced by Felipe Pantone's artistry, combines a black core with vibrant Alpine blue patterns. The team heads to Qatar for the season prologue and the first race later this month, promising an exciting start to their World Endurance Championship journey.
The launch was graced by the presence of Renault Group CEO Luca De Meo, reaffirming the group's unwavering commitment to motorsport through the Alpine brand. Alpine CEO Philippe Krief was also in attendance, underscoring the importance of the occasion for the brand.
As Bruno Famin, Alpine VP of Motorsports & Team Principal of BWT Alpine F1 Team, expressed, "It's a great moment for Alpine Motorsports to come together and officially present its programs for the 2024 season." The unveiling of both the A524 Formula 1 car and A424 Hypercar signifies the culmination of dedicated efforts from Alpine's talented teams in the UK and France.
As the A524 begins its on-track season with a shakedown on February 20, followed by pre-season testing in Bahrain from February 21-23, and the season opener in Sakhir a week later, the excitement is palpable. Alpine Motorsports is poised for a year of intensity, hard work, and the pursuit of success across Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship.
Wael is an automotive content writer specializes in creating written content for Motor 283. Producing a wide range of content, including blog posts, articles, product descriptions, reviews, and technical guides related to cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles, with an unprecedented passion for cars, and motorcycles.
Nissan Formula E Team is excited to announce a four-year global partnership with Petromin Corporation, a leading mobility solutions provider in the Middle East. The partnership will be primarily focused on the company’s EV charging subsidiary, Electromin, as the business looks ahead to a wider adoption of electric mobility in the region.
The Mercedes-AMG ONE has been the fastest production car on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife since October 2022 and has been unrivalled ever since. The only rival is the ONE itself. Now Mercedes AMG brand ambassador and DTM driver Maro Engel has once again significantly improved the lap time he set. With an officially measured and notarised time of 6:29.090 minutes for the 20.832-kilometre track, the hypercar with Formula 1™ technology beat its own record for production vehicles by over five seconds. This makes the Mercedes AMG ONE the first road car to beat the magic mark of 6:30 minutes. It is also the only series hybrid hypercar to date to have taken on the world's most demanding racetrack and is the undisputed leader in the super-sports-car class. In order to achieve the lofty goals they had set for themselves, meticulous preparation was necessary. In addition, the track conditions had to be ideal in order to beat the 6:30 minute target. On September 23, 2024, at 6:56 p.m., on his third timed lap, Maro Engel achieved the new record. With temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (air) and 20 degrees Celsius (asphalt), the legendary Nordschleife was dry throughout and offered perfect grip.
Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their Formula 1™ race weekends, Maro Engel also had to make the best possible use of the hybrid drive's electrical energy. This is particularly challenging, especially with a track length of more than 20 kilometres. Therefore, it is immensely important to use the right sections of the track to recuperate during braking phases and thus store energy in the batteries again.
To do this, Maro Engel utilised the AMG ONE's four-stage Energy Flow Control (EFC) system and in some cases deliberately took his foot off the accelerator a little earlier than he normally would. In technical jargon, this is known as “lift and coast”. Preliminary tests in the driving simulator in Affalterbach and on the Nordschleife itself provided the necessary insights, which the team and driver were able to optimally implement for the record lap. In accordance with the specifications of Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co KG, the vehicle was tested and documented by TÜV Rheinland to ensure that it was in standard condition. A notary confirmed that the record drive had been carried out correctly.
The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 heads into this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA) finale – the Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Road Atlanta – deep in the hunt for its first major title.
The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has enjoyed a stellar debut season of international competition. The car recorded a historic victory in the centenary edition of the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa in June, a first for the British ultraluxury sportscar brand in the modern GT era. It also achieved Aston Martin’s first ever Autobacs Super GT class victory in Japan in the same month. As well as this, Vantage has clinched class wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series and ADAC GT Masters through the summer.
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