24h Le Mans
A special podium ceremony took place early this afternoon at the Circuit des 24 Heures. Winner of the LMP2 class at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans following a disqualification, the Signatech Alpine Matmut team celebrated on the top step of the podium in customary fashion, to the strains of La Marseillaise.
The final result of the 2018 race was only made official in recent weeks by the verdict of the FIA international court of appeal.
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest presented the trophy to drivers Nicolas Lapierre, André Négrão and Pierre Thiriet along with Team Manager Philippe Sinault. Runners-up Vincent Capillaire, Tristan Gommendy and Jonathan Hirschi also attended the ceremony, representing Graff-SO24. Third-placed team United Autosports was absent - racing in the Asian Le Mans Series round in Shanghai.
Nicolas Lapierre felt “it was important to celebrate our success, to seal our victory by lifting the trophy. This win makes us a part of the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is my fourth time on this podium and each time it’s different. But you always know you’ve achieved something great. This race is notoriously difficult. To win it, everything has to come together. There’s a whole team behind three fast drivers and then you need a stroke of luck too."
This afternoon, the drivers took a few guests for a spin on the track and then pitted their wits against an e-gamer on a simulator. This evening, they’ll head for the Méga CGR cinema in Saint-Saturnin, which will be hosting the première of the official film of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
