Le Mans 24 Hours competitors took to the track yesterday for the traditional pre-race test.

After setting the pace during the first session, the #36 Signatech-Alpine ended the day as second quickest of the LMP2 runners with a lap time of 3m 37.397s.

The #35 Baxi DC Racing Alpine was classified ninth on aggregate, with a 3m 39.298s lap during the morning session.

Although the sky remained grey throughout, the traditional Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day took place on a completely dry track and in mild temperatures.

At 9am, the two Alpine A460s headed out onto the 13.629-kilometre Circuit de la Sarthe with contrasting objectives. For Stéphane Richelmi and Gustavo Menezes, sharing the #36 Signatech-Alpine with Nicolas Lapierre, it was a matter of completing 10 laps each to complete their rookie evaluation and become eligible to participate in the race.

In Baxi DC Racing’s #35 chassis, Nelson Panciatici, David Cheng and Ho-Pin Tung kicked off a series of long-run tests to evaluate Dunlop’s tyres over long distances.

In his first run at the wheel of car #36, Nicolas Lapierre set a benchmark time for the LMP2 class by lapping in 3min 37.397s. A few minutes later, Nelson Panciatici moved up to fifth in the sister car with a 3min 39.298s.

After a one-hour break, the second session was used for more detailed set-up work. Finally, with a little less than an hour remaining, the team decided to focus on qualifying simulations.

Unfortunately, another car then went off the circuit and brought out the red flags – an incident that ended the session prematurely as there was insufficient time to repair the safety barriers.The Alpine A460s consequently failed to improve their morning efforts.

During the course of the day, the two Signatech-Alpine cars completed more than 2,000 kilometres. The team will now study the accumulated data and prepare the cars for the event. Once they have been fitted with the engines and transmissions earmarked for the race, the A460s will complete a brief shakedown at Le Mans’ Bugatti circuit to make sure everything is working correctly ahead of the season’s most important race.

Bernard Ollivier, deputy managing director, Alpine: “Even if our Alpine A460s didn’t set the day’s quickest times, we can be very pleased with the level of our performance. The #36 Signatech-Alpine proved that it will start Le Mans as one of the favourites in the LMP2 category. And even though its lap times might not reflect as much, the #35 Baxi DC Racing Alpine underlined that it will be a factor. The whole team did a really good job and put the drivers in a confident frame of mind as they prepare for their big week at Le Mans.”

Philippe Sinault, Signatech-Alpine team principal: “It has been a significant day that enabled us to get a greater understanding of the goals towards which we’ll be working over the next two weeks. On the circuit, we weren’t going all-out to achieve fast laps, but they came naturally. Our quickest time was particularly satisfying, because it was set with plenty of fuel on board during Nicolas’s first stint with new tyres. Late in the day, our hopes were slightly stifled because the red flag came out just as we were about to embark on a series of quick runs. Looking at the telemetry from our cars today, we know where we stand and can be confident that both crews will be able to challenge at the front of the LMP2 pack.”

Nelson Panciatici: “Every year, it feels truly extraordinary to venture out onto this legendary circuit. The first lap is always particularly exciting, but then you have to reacclimatise to your reference points and the track’s specific nuances. And that’s not easy because grip levels change by the lap. On the technical front, we concentrated on long runs to test the durability and performance of Dunlop’s tyre compounds. As the weather conditions didn’t change during the day, we were able to work calmly. I can’t wait for the race because it stirs many happy memories of 2012, when I competed here for the first time, and 2014… when we finished on the LMP2 podium.”

David Cheng: “This has been a very good test day, the car worked perfectly and we were able to rack up lots of laps at a decent pace. I felt comfortable at the wheel and my team-mates ran very strongly, too. We saw once again that the competition is particularly fierce this year, with about 10 LMP2 cars covered by a handkerchief. It promises to be a very exciting race! We’ll make use of the coming days to complete our preparations, while at the same time enjoying a little relaxation and making sure we clear our minds.”

Ho-Pin Tung: “For fans, teams and drivers, the highlight of the season is here! It’s normal for the World Endurance Championship to draw big crowds, but Le Mans takes things to another dimension. The first time I raced here, I recall that we spent quite a lot of time behind the safety car at night because it was raining. Even so, the grandstands were still full of fans who were shivering with cold. That was one of many special moments – and there are more with each passing year. We did a good job today. The car was quick and we have a good basis on which to work. We still have time to make progress, but I think we have very strong potential.”

Nicolas Lapierre: “The main goal today was to make sure Stéphane and Gustavo completed as many kilometres as possible. Everything went well, the car seems to be quick and we were able to test different tyre compounds and a range of set-ups. But you have to bear in mind that track conditions were very particular following recent bad weather. We have lots of data to analyse before the week of the race. With several technical briefings scheduled and a shakedown session with our race engine, time will pass quickly but I will set aside a few days to rest.”

Stéphane Richelmi: “My day started with the 10 laps that are mandatory in order to be able to take part in the race. During this time, I left quite a bit of margin through the circuit’s trickiest corners. With a low-downforce set-up, the car behaves very differently compared with what I’m used to. Later, I pushed a little harder and was able to run at a similar pace to the others. I found it was quite hard dealing with some of the traffic, though – particularly when passing drivers who aren’t doing the full WEC. I’m looking forward to finding out what the race is like. Unlike the Monaco GP, at which I have been present for many years, I’ve only ever watched Le Mans on TV. I might be in for a surprise!”

Gustavo Menezes: “It has been a very positive start, because we got through with both cars in good condition and set some interesting lap times. I took my time learning the track and then built up my speed progressively. I can’t want to find out all about the race, because I’d never even been here before. I know it’s an event of great heritage, and that it takes place on an incredible circuit, but I think things will move to a different level when there are more than 200,000 spectators in the stands.”

LMP2 classification – Le Mans Test Day 1. Eurasia Motorsport #33 – 3m 36.690s2. Signatech-Alpine #36 – 3m 37.397s3. G-Drive Racing #26 – 3m 37.503s4. G-Drive Racing #38 – 3m 37.581s5. Manor #44 – 3m 38.383s6. KCMG #47 – 3m 38.486s7. Thiriet by TDS Racing #46 – 3m 38.581s8. Michael Shank Racing #49 – 3m 38.589s9. Baxi DC Racing Alpine #35 – 3m 39.298s10. SMP Racing #27 – 3m 39.804s‏