French sports car manufacturer Alpine has purchased a minority stake in its current Hypercar service provider Signatech, RACER has learned.
This move gives Signatech long-term financial stability while allowing it to continue to operate independently going forward. It is a clear statement of intent from Alpine, which wishes to remain in sports car racing for years to come and achieve its ultimate goal of winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in the current era.
For Signatech, which was founded in 1990, this new chapter comes after a longstanding association with Alpine. The link between the two organizations dates back to 2013 when Signatech partnered with the Dieppe-based brand for an LMP2 class attack on the European Le Mans Series. Since then it has been on a successful path, claiming multiple ELMS and FIA WEC LMP2 titles, three LMP2 class wins at Le Mans and a pair of overall FIA WEC victories in the early days of the Hypercar class, which led to Signatech’s current two-car flagship effort for Alpine in the WEC.
Bruno Famin, vice president of Alpine Motorsport, says there is “no limit” on the current program, and with Alpine now a part-owner of Signatech, the collaboration looks set to continue long into the future.
“Alpine is my partner now, and it’s a good signal for the program,” team principal Philippe Sinualt told RACER. “It’s important to note that they are really on board now with what we do. This doesn’t change the way we operate — it is important to keep independence, it keeps us agile and creative. We managed the situation with Bruno (Famin) and that is clear.
“It gives stability to our program. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been able to look a minimum of four to five years ahead. That’s why this is fantastic.”
Asked whether this stability opens up other doors for Signatech, Sinualt replied: “We are really focused on WEC. This project is so huge and each morning my staff only wake up to win Le Mans. That’s our game and we have no other involvement now in any other programs.”