Alpine announced last September that it’s going to step as much as the highest class this yr after 5 seasons within the LMP2 ranks, utilizing the Oreca-built Rise up R-13 LMP1 chassis.
It’s so far the one confirmed entry for the 2021 WEC season utilizing the grandfathered LMP1 ruleset, which is being changed by the brand new Le Mans Hypercar guidelines.
With the brand new LMH machines set to be significantly slower than the LMP1 vehicles they substitute, the way in which the Steadiness of Efficiency is ready between the 2 units of laws might have a serious bearing on the battle between Toyota and Alpine.
Nakajima admitted that Toyota will face robust competitors within the struggle for a fourth consecutive Le Mans 24 Hours victory towards the confirmed Rise up-Gibson package deal, which loved a more-or-less trouble-free run reliability-wise at Le Mans final yr.
However the three-time La Sarthe winner says that it will likely be right down to race organiser the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest to make sure there’s a truthful battle given the older automobile’s theoretical efficiency benefit over the brand new Toyota.
“I feel [Le Mans] goes to be fairly totally different,” Nakajima instructed Motorsport.com. “They’ve a automobile that may end 24 hours with out points, they’ve good reliability. After which it’s actually right down to the EoT between us and them.
#36 Signatech Alpine Matmut Alpine A470: Nicolas Lapierre, Andre Negrao, Pierre Thiriet
Photograph by: Paul Foster
“It is going to be harder for us as a result of our pace is restricted anyway, however their pace is admittedly right down to the EoT. Pace-wise, we now have the potential to be precisely the identical, so I feel it’s going to be an actual race subsequent yr. I don’t know if it’s proper or not.
“It’s actually right down to politics. I’m not a part of it, however I can perceive each side. From our aspect, it could be very unfair, however in fact [the ACO] needs to have competitors. Let’s see what occurs. The race subsequent yr ought to be fascinating, they are going to be a really robust competitor.”
Kamui Kobayashi stated he believes that the ACO have to be cautious to not delay potential entrants into the LMH division by pegging again Toyota’s pace an excessive amount of.
“I don’t know what they may do concerning the BoP,” the 2019/20 WEC champion instructed Motorsport.com. “It’s a bit unusual as a result of they [Alpine] are fairly quick anyway. We misplaced quite a lot of laptime [compared to the LMP1], so I don’t know what’s going to occur.
“It gained’t be enjoyable if the Alpine is faster than us as a result of then no person will go to the Hypercar class. I don’t know what they’re aiming for.
“For us it’s a brand new automobile, and the Alpine is a longtime automobile and the group has expertise. Nonetheless they don’t announce the BoP but, so I don’t know what they need to do.”
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