Alpine’s Hypercar reserve driver Jules Gounon is raring to take in as a lot data and monitor time as potential this weekend in Fuji. The Frenchman — who was thrown in on the deep finish because the substitute for the injured Ferdinand Habsburg earlier this yr at Imola and Spa — is again for a 3rd begin within the No. 35 A424 and senses a primary alternative to impress.
In April when he acquired the decision to race in Italy following Habsburg’s crash in testing, the scenario was removed from ultimate. He lacked monitor time and the Signatech-run Alpine effort was nonetheless discovering its ft with its new automotive.
Now, although, on the again finish of the marketing campaign, Gounon rejoins the workforce at an thrilling second, contemporary from its greatest results of the season simply two weeks in the past at Circuit of The Americas. There the A424 took an actual step ahead in efficiency phrases and the No. 35 completed fifth.
“Every thing was not prepared for my debut, I had just one check day within the automotive earlier than I arrived in Imola and every little thing was new,” he mirrored in dialog with RACER. “I didn’t adapt to the techniques and I didn’t do any work beforehand as a result of I wasn’t anticipating to drive. It was troublesome, particularly as I didn’t have any related downforce expertise earlier than in single-seaters or something like that. All I did was one LMP2 check to persuade Alpine to offer me a reserve function!
“Spa was higher, however nonetheless arduous. All I had was 10 laps in every apply session after which within the races I did 45 minutes in Imola due to the altering situations and in Spa, I did 50 minutes due to the pink flag. It’s not so much, so I’m undoubtedly not the place I need to be but.
“Nevertheless, coming again I can see quite a lot of progress since my final race, undoubtedly,” he stated. “Everybody has labored arduous and it reveals. The automotive feels a lot better, extra constant and extra pure. The techniques are higher and that’s the important thing. There’s nonetheless an obstacle in comparison with Porsche and Ferrari, who’ve extra automobiles working and extra time to investigate. However all of us have the aim of constructing this.”
Higher nonetheless, he has had ample time to mentally put together for this cameo at Fuji within the seat normally occupied by Paul-Loup Chatin. To help his improvement, this look was written into his contract earlier than the season started, he’s had the weekend circled in his calendar for months.
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What would a robust efficiency on Sunday imply for his future? Proper now, there aren’t any ensures, however a standout efficiency would absolutely enhance his probabilities of securing a full-time Hypercar drive sooner or later.
Taking that step is not going to be straightforward, although Gounon has each the power and a résumé that speaks for itself. Throughout his time as a Mercedes-AMG manufacturing facility driver, he has racked up Spa 24 Hours, Rolex 24 At Daytona and Bathurst 12 Hour wins to his identify, in addition to a pair of World Problem Europe titles. Now he has a watch on what’s subsequent.
Thus, he’s grateful that Mercedes-AMG — a model that aspires to compete within the FIA WEC however doesn’t at the moment have a program — has been so accommodating, permitting him to discover a future in Hypercar by including this reserve function at Alpine to his ongoing GT racing commitments.
“We’re undoubtedly within the golden period for endurance racing, with so many factories and professional drivers. I need to be part of that going ahead,” Gounon stated when requested about his ambition to race within the WEC’s prime class. “On the identical time, I nonetheless have a contract with Mercedes till the tip of subsequent yr, so I do know I’ll nonetheless be doing GT racing. If sooner or later I get the possibility (in Hypercar), I’ll take it, however I’ll undoubtedly not cease GT racing.
“For now although, my aim is to not let my teammates down. I do know what I can ship when it comes to efficiency in a prototype like this, however I’m not there but. I’m not seconds off; I simply want to seek out the ultimate few tenths. I don’t really feel like I’m on trial with the workforce, as a substitute, I’m on trial with myself and I need to present what I can do and impress.
“With the workforce within the place it’s in now, we hope to attain extra factors and make a robust assertion. I need to be part of that. Each weekend comes with new challenges. Hopefully, we will face them.”
