Alpine's Lapierre announces retirement
Alpine Endurance team Hypercar driver Nicolas Lapierre has announced his retirement from racing. The 40-year-old Frenchman — who has been acting as both a WEC prototype driver and team manager of European Le Mans Series LMP2 team Cool Racing in recent years — will take no further part in the current FIA WEC campaign.
Lapierre, whose lengthy career in sports car racing includes several significant accolades, including four Le Mans 24 Hours class wins and two victories at the Sebring 12 Hours, announced his decision on social media this afternoon. The announcement confirmed that he will not race at the WEC season finale next month in Bahrain. Lapierre bows out of his professional racing career with a Hypercar podium finish at Fuji Speedway last month (pictured at left, above), driving the No. 36 A424.
“Fuji was my last race as a driver,” he said. “It’s time for me to hang up my helmet and end this chapter of my life.
“It was great to finish this journey on the podium and spray the champagne once more. It was an honor for me to live for my passion for so many years and to do what I love.”
Lapierre hasn’t confirmed what he plans to do next, but he did tease in the video announcement that he is about to start “a new chapter on the other side of the pit wall,” hinting at a new, expanded role in team management.
In addition to his successes at Le Mans and Sebring, Lapierre also claimed six FIA WEC overall wins during a stint as a Toyota LMP1 driver and two additional victories racing with Alpine in Hypercar during the 2022 season.
He also won the WEC LMP2 championship twice with Signatech Alpine in 2016 and 2018/19, and has a Macau Grand Prix win to his name.
Alpine hasn’t yet announced who will replace him in Bahrain, though Jules Gounon is the obvious candidate. Gounon, the French manufacturer’s Hypercar reserve driver, has already made three starts this year for the team, at Imola, Spa and Fuji.
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