New Alpine clinches Le Mans Series

MOTORSPORT - ELMS 2013 - LE CASTELLET 3 HOURS - LE CASTELLET (FRA) - 28/09/2013 - PHOTO: ERIC VARGIOLU / DPPI - 36 RAGUES PIERRE (FRA) - PANCIATICI NELSON (FRA) / ALPINE A 450 NISSAN / ACTION

MOTORSPORT - ELMS 2013 - LE CASTELLET 3 HOURS - LE CASTELLET (FRA) - 28/09/2013 - PHOTO: ERIC VARGIOLU / DPPI - 36 RAGUES PIERRE (FRA) - PANCIATICI NELSON (FRA) / ALPINE A 450 NISSAN / ACTION

Published Oct 1, 2013

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Alpine has celebrated its return to motorsport - 35 years after the Alpine A442b's triumph at Le Mans in 1978 with Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud - by taking the 2013 European Le Mans Series title thanks to three podium finishes for the Alpine A450 of Pierre Ragues and Nelson Panciatici, including outright victory in Hungary, and fourth in the drama-packed final round of the series at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

Two weeks after its landmark victory in Hungary, the A450 lined up for the start of the Three Hours of Paul Ricard with the European Le Mans Series title in its sights, 39 years after its last European crown with Alain Serpaggi, Gérard Larousse, Jean-Pierre Jabouille and Alain Cudini.

CAUTIOUS START

Ragues qualified the car on the second row before a cautious start to the race which saw him in fourth when he handed the car over to team mate Panciatici after his 90-minute stint - who was forced to pit shortly afterwards to change a defective steering wheel.

After that unscheduled stop, Panciatici put in a charge from seventh to fourth, posting several fastest laps along the way, to clinch the title.

RESULTS- Three Hours of Paul Ricard

1 Murphy Prototypes (Hirschi/Hartley) - 93 laps

2 Morand Racing (Klien/Gachnang) +6.255sec

3 Jota Sport (Turvey/Dolan) +21.691

4 Signatech-Alpine (Ragues/Panciatici) +1min24.350

5 Boutsen Ginion Racing (Kuppens/Kapadia) +1mmin38.954

TEAM STANDINGS- 2013 European Le Mans Series

1 Signatech Alpine - 85 points

2 Thiriet by TDS Racing - 77

3 Jota Sport - 71

DRIVERS' STANDINGS- 2013 European Le Mans Series

1 Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues - 85 points

2 Pierre Thiriet - 77

3 Oliver Turvey and Simon Dolan - 71

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