Nicolas Lapierre to defend LMP2 WEC crown with Signatech Alpine
Former Toyota factory driver Nicolas Lapierre will defend his 2016 World Endurance Championship LMP2 title with the Signatech Alpine squad
The Frenchman, who won the P2 crown with Gustavo Menezes and Stephane Richelmi in 2016, has been retained to drive an ORECA-Gibson 07 that will again be badged an Alpine.
Team boss Philippe Sinault said: "We're very pleased that Nicolas has renewed his faith in Signatech Alpine.
"Building on the winning formula of 2016, this is a very important first step as we prepare for the coming season."
Lapierre added that he was "proud to keep competing on behalf of Alpine".
Alpine and Signatech will be unable to keep their championship-winning line-up together next season because Menezes has been upgraded to gold status for next season.
P2 rules demand that each car must have at least one silver or bronze-ranked driver.
Signatech, which fielded a second car under the Baxi DC Racing Alpine banner in 2016, has expressed its intent to again make a pair of entries in P2 in 2017.
It is updating the ORECA 05 coupes it ran this season to 07 specification on the introduction of a new set of regulations in the LMP2 class.
DID YOU KNOW...
...Lapierre will be bidding for a hat-trick of class wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year? He followed up on a P2 victory with the KCMG squad in 2015 with another triumph this year with Signatech.
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