Pranešimas spaudai
Victorious at Sebring, Alpine Elf Endurance Team and its three drivers arrived in Belgium intending to carry on their strong start to the season.
From Thursday, the team used the three free practice sessions to deal with the balance of performances adjustments, focusing most particularly on energy management and fuel consumption. After this thorough preparation for the race, Matthieu Vaxiviere was given the task of qualifying the car. The Frenchman was on the pace immediately, taking second place in an immensely competitive session, with the entire Hypercar category covered by four-tenths of a second.
For his second consecutive start on the front row, André Negrão got away strong before being boxed in at the exit of turn one by the polesitter. Vulnerable to those tucked in his slipstream, the Brazilian slipped back to fourth place. After a solid first stint where he managed to stay in contact with the leaders despite the traffic, the race became chaotic with an accident causing a safety car period, then a red flag during which the heavens opened.
Hour two was all about strategic tyre tension before the restart, which was marked by the retirement of the race-leading n°8 Toyota. The team then decided to shift its strategy with a short stop to favour track position, allowing the Alpine A480 to exit the pits in the lead of the Hypercar category. After a subsequent interruption due to rain, André Negrão succumbed to the attacks of his four-wheel drive prototype rival.
Nicolas Lapierre took over from the Brazilian halfway through the race, and after more safety car periods and red flags, the French driver caught up with his closest rival before taking advantage of a full course yellow to hand over to Matthieu Vaxiviere. Slotting in second place, when he got behind the wheel, the crew's youngest member did his bit to keep the leaders under pressure before going for slick tyres in the final half-hour.
Despite his best efforts, Matthieu Vaxiviere and the Alpine A480 took the chequered flag in second place, less than half a minute behind the winners. This second podium finish of the season, the eighth in a row in the premier category, allows the A-arrowed brand to maintain its lead in the FIA World Endurance Championship ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month.
More information to be found in the attached document.
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