Signatech Alpine Matmut, holder of the FIA Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams, is already preparing to defend its title. With just two weeks to go to the Barcelona Prologue (23-24 July 2019), the first official round of tests ahead of the 2019-20 FIA WEC season, the French team has officially announced its driver line-up. The #36 Alpine A470-Gibson will be driven by Thomas Laurent, André Negrao and Pierre Ragues. Ragues competed with Alpine in 2013, the year that the French marque first took the European Le Mans Series title. He also finished fourth overall and third in the LMP2 class with Alpine at the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours. This year, he made his 12th Le Mans outing, competing at the wheel of the #30 Oreca 07-Gibson for Duqueine Engineering (12th overall and 7th in LMP2). Meanwhile, Pierre Thiriet has decided to focus his attentions on other personal and professional projects.

Thomas Laurent, André Negrao and Pierre Ragues will be aiming to take a third FIA World Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Teams and to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans (13-14 June 2019) for the third year running.

PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE, SUNDAY 9 JUNE 2019, SCRUTINEERING. 35-year-old Pierre Ragues can boast 12 Le Mans 24 Hours starts. He is returning to Signatech Alpine Matmut for the 2019-20 FIA WEC World Endurance Championship season.