Alpine Elf Endurance Team up to the Sebring challenge

Alpine Elf Endurance Team is now focused on the first of seven rounds of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship season and building on the learnings of the Prologue, which saw the squad gradually build up its performance level.

After two days of in-depth data analysis and a complete overhaul of its two A470s, the team of the A-Arrowed brand is ready to take on the challenge of a more competitive LMP2 category than ever before. From today, the operational team will work with André Negrão, Memo Rojas, Olli Caldwell, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi and Julien Canal to fine-tune their final preparations and chemistry for this first moment of truth. To achieve this, engineers, drivers and mechanics will have three one-hour practice sessions to refine their setups before tackling the qualifying session at dusk on Thursday.

Part of the 'Super Sebring' combining the 1000 Miles of Sebring (FIA WEC) and the 12 Hours of Sebring (IMSA), the season-opener will take place on Friday from midday local time in a unique and typically North American atmosphere. The race is scheduled for 1,000 miles, or 1609.34 km, but will run no longer than eight hours if the distance is not reached by then. In addition to the well-known pitfalls linked to the different track surfaces, other challenges will appear with the multiplication of full course yellows, traffic management, or the drop in temperatures as the final sprint approaches.

With their previous Florida experiences, Alpine Elf Endurance Team and its trios of drivers will do everything in their power to ensure that they can make a promising return to one of the world's most competitive categories.

To follow the 1000 Miles of Sebring live, go to www.fiawec.com.

Philippe Sinault, Alpine Elf Endurance Team Principal

"The atmosphere in the team is excellent as we head into the 1000 Miles of Sebring. The integration of our new members is going extremely well. It is important to emphasise the human factor at Sebring, which is an old-fashioned, atypical and bumpy track where mutual trust is essential. This team spirit is required both in our cars and within our ranks. I am happy with the dynamic that we are creating together. Sebring is never easy, and we must now avoid the pitfalls. We must remember that free practice does not happen in the same time slots and conditions as the race. The aim is to get a car that performs well over the full distance of this long race, known for drops in track temperatures as the hours go by. It is also one of the toughest rounds on the calendar, with traffic management, no escape routes and nightfall adding to the challenge. We are also aware that we are under pressure to return to a more competitive LMP2 category than ever before. Apart from the experience and all the qualities of our rivals, all the drivers have ambitions to join the premier category in the coming years. So we must be realistic and remember that we are far from being the favourites, let alone right from our first race back in LMP2. It will be a very competitive season, so the most important thing is to score good points. A top-five finish, or even a podium depending on what happens in the race, would help us accomplish this goal."

TIMETABLE (CET-5)

Wednesday 15 March

10:55-11:55am: Free practice 1
4:35-5:35pm: Free practice 2

Thursday 16 March

11:55am-12:55pm: Free practice 3
6:55-7:10pm: LMP2 Qualifying

Friday 17 March

12-8:00pm: 1000 Miles of Sebring