Alpine Endurance workforce Hypercar driver Nicolas Lapierre has introduced his retirement from racing. The 40-year-old Frenchman — who has been appearing as each a WEC prototype driver and workforce supervisor of European Le Mans Collection LMP2 workforce Cool Racing in recent times — will take no additional half within the present FIA WEC marketing campaign.
Lapierre, whose prolonged profession in sports activities automobile racing consists of a number of important accolades, together with 4 Le Mans 24 Hours class wins and two victories on the Sebring 12 Hours, introduced his determination on social media this afternoon. The announcement confirmed that he won’t race on the WEC season finale subsequent month in Bahrain. Lapierre bows out of his skilled racing profession with a Hypercar podium end at Fuji Speedway final month (pictured at left, above), driving the No. 36 A424.
“Fuji was my final race as a driver,” he mentioned. “It’s time for me to hold up my helmet and finish this chapter of my life.
“It was nice to complete this journey on the rostrum and spray the champagne as soon as extra. It was an honor for me to stay for my ardour for thus a few years and to do what I like.”
Lapierre hasn’t confirmed what he plans to do subsequent, however he did tease within the video announcement that he’s about to start out “a brand new chapter on the opposite aspect of the pit wall,” hinting at a brand new, expanded position in workforce administration.
Along with his successes at Le Mans and Sebring, Lapierre additionally claimed six FIA WEC general wins throughout a stint as a Toyota LMP1 driver and two extra victories racing with Alpine in Hypercar throughout the 2022 season.
He additionally received the WEC LMP2 championship twice with Signatech Alpine in 2016 and 2018/19, and has a Macau Grand Prix win to his title.
Alpine hasn’t but introduced who will change him in Bahrain, although Jules Gounon is the apparent candidate. Gounon, the French producer’s Hypercar reserve driver, has already made three begins this yr for the workforce, at Imola, Spa and Fuji.
