WEC: Lapierre appointed sporting director of Alpine

We’ve mentioned French driver Nicolas Lapierre more than once lately, as he was Mick Schumacher’s teammate in the Alpine Endurance Team this season.

The day before yesterday he announced that he is retiring from endurance racing – but only as a driver. Since today, the 40-year-old Lapierre has been appointed sporting director of the Renault factory team that participates in the WEC. He will start in this position on January 1 and report to Philippe Sino, head of the Alpine Endurance Team.

But already in the days of the last stage of the season, which will take place on the first weekend of November in Bahrain, he will get acquainted with his new responsibilities, while his place in crew No. 36 will be taken by Jules Gounon, the the team’s reserve driver.

“Alpine has always believed in me, and also gave me the opportunity to refine the A424 hypercar and then embark on our first season behind the wheel of this car,” said Lapierre. “I am pleased to confirm that although I have decided to end my career as a professional racing driver, my adventures with this team will continue, but now on the other side of the pit wall.

I will try to share all my experiences with our riders and become a link with the engineering department of the Alpine Endurance Team. Endurance racing is on the rise and I believe in our project. We must focus all our efforts on taking the team to the next level together.”

Lapierre switched from karting to circuit racing a quarter of a century ago and achieved significant success in the youth formulas: in 2002 he became third prize winner of the Formula Renault Eurocup, in 2003 he won the Macau Grand Prix, in 2006 he became the A1 champion GP series, but the following year he continued his career in endurance racing.

His main achievements are three victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015-2016 and 2018. in the LMP2 class and two WEC championship titles in the same category with the Signatech Alpine team.