Pierre Ragues has this afternoon claimed his maiden podium result of the 2013 European Le Mans Series with a sensational second place finish in the 3 Hours of Imola.

 

In just the second race of the season, Pierre has helped to return the legendary Alpine brand to the endurance podium after a sublime performance with the Signatech-Alpine team, the Michelin-shod A450 car and his team-mate Nelson Panciatici.

 

For Pierre, it was a fantastic afternoon at the Autodromo Dino e Enzo Ferrari, as he and Panciatici demonstrated the full performance of the Signatech-Alpine package in an exciting three hour race which saw some light rain mid-way through and an exhilarating battle for second spot in the closing stages.

 

Having qualified in fourth place, it was Nelson Panciatici who was on starting duties for the team and he maintained his position in the first stint of the race. Handing over to Pierre Ragues at the halfway mark, Pierre drove an outstanding double stint to move the team into third place overall and chasing the second place. In fact, such was the proximity of the chase that when Pierre pitted to hand over to Panciatici for the final part of the race, there was less than one second separating them. 

 

Unfortunately, a problem during the pit stop lost the team thirty seconds of time, but a thrilling battle for second ensued. Panciatici fought hard to close the gap and was able to successfully overtake into second place, a position he retained until the chequered flag. 

 

The result is a triumphant result for the Signatech-Alpine team and a fantastic return to the podium for Pierre and his sponsors Group Auto. 

 

An elated Pierre said: “I am overjoyed with this result and with my performance today. It was a brilliant race for all of Signatech-Alpine and for myself and Nelson. We both drove competitively today and were able to get the maximum out of the Michelin tyres and the A450 car. I am thrilled to be back on the podium and to celebrate the return of the Alpine brand to the endurance podium. The race wasn’t without its problems especially with tricky traffic but we were able to fight hard. I was really pleased with my double stint and to take us right into the hunt for second place, which we ultimately achieved. I am thankful to the team for all their efforts this weekend – this result is for them – and to the support of my sponsors Group Auto, who continue to support my career so much. A weekend to remember!”