Alpine announces full driver line-up for two-car WEC LMP2 attack

The Signatech run-Alpine team will run two rebadged Oreca 07-Gibson cars in the LMP2 class of the WEC this year, a transition season for the team before it returns to the Hypercar category in 2024 with an LMDh contender.

Matthieu Vaxiviere and Andre Negrao, who raced for the team with a grandfathered LMP1 car alongside Nicolas Lapierre in 2021-22, have both been retained by the team and will be split across its two LMP2 entries.

Vaxiviere will team up with two-time LMP2 champion Julien Canal and ex-Richard Mille Racing driver Charles Milesi in the #36 Alpine A470, while Negrao will join double European Le Mans Series title winner Memo Rojas and Olli Caldwell in the sister #35 entry.

Milesi was effectively a part of the Signatech set-up last year when the French operation ran the Richard Mille team, while Caldwell is an Alpine Academy member who also got to sample a rebadged Oreca 07 at the Bahrain rookie test last year.

Canal and Rojas are completely new to the Signatech/Alpine partnership.

Multiple Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Lapierre will not race for Alpine this year to focus on his commitments with Cool Racing as well as help the French manufacturer in the development of its Oreca-based LMDh contender.

The Frenchman hopes to return to a race seat next year, when Alpine moves back to the Hypercar class, in his bid to add an overall Le Mans will to his CV.

"We had to put together two driver line-ups, both homogeneous and coherent, whilst considering the specific LMP2 rules, notably with a silver driver in each car,” said team principal Philippe Sinault.

“We are proud of our trios mixing experienced drivers with great potentials. Everyone knows the qualities and skills of Matthieu, Andre and Charles, while Julien's experience speaks for itself as does Memo's track record. 

“We are also fully committed to leading Olli to a successful transition to Endurance, as we have done with André and many others in the past.”

Alpine also announced that Reshad de Gerus, who made three race appearances for Duqueine in the ELMS last year, will join the squad as its reserve driver in 2023.

#36 Alpine A470 - Gibson: Matthieu Vaxiviere, Julien Canal, Charles Milesi, #35 Alpine A470 - Gibson: André Negrão, Memo Rojas, Olli Caldwell

Photo by: James Moy