Paul-Loup Chatin (FRA), Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen (AUT), and Charles Milesi (FRA) will be the drivers of the #35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424 in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The event will take place in Doha, Qatar, on March 1, 2024. Alpine reserve driver Jules Gounon will replace Ferdinand Habsburg at the 6 Hours of Imola, as confirmed by the French team. Habsburg suffered back injuries, specifically fractures in the lumbar vertebrae, during tests in Aragon. Although he is expected to fully recover, he is not yet fit to race in Imola. The reason for the accident was not disclosed by Alpine.
Gounon is known for his achievements in GT racing. He won the 24 Hours of Spa in 2017 and 2022, the 12 Hours of Bathurst in 2020, 2022, and 2023, and the GTD Pro class of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2023. He has also been a two-time champion of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. However, the race in Imola will be his first time driving a prototype car. Gounon will join his compatriots Paul-Loup Chatin and Charlies Milesi in the Alpine A424 #35. In their debut, with Habsburg, Chatin, and Milesi finished seventh and scored points for the team.
Philippe Sinault, director of the Alpine Endurance team, expressed his thoughts on the situation, saying: “Ferdinand will be in our thoughts. It’s a tough setback, but it’s part of a team’s life. We have made the necessary arrangements to ensure that he can still be with us through modern communication methods. We have decided to replace him with Jules in Imola. It’s never easy to debut in such circumstances, but Jules was chosen and hired for this role, although we did not expect this to happen so soon. He is fundamentally prepared, but there is still much to learn, despite his impressive background in GT racing. We adjusted his preparation during our recent tests with his six teammates and in the simulator to familiarize him with all of our processes. This weekend will be incredibly educational for the whole team.”
© 2024
