Pierre Ragues will return to endurance work next week as he joins the Signatech-Alpine squad for two days of European Le Mans Series testing at Paul Ricard in the south of France. 

 

The southern French circuit holds particularly strong memories for Pierre and the team as the venue where they clinched the ELMS title last year. Pierre will continue to impart his experience and technical know-how to the team as they prepare for the 2014 season with two days of running on 1 and 2 April.

 

It has already been confirmed that Pierre will not be joining the team at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours but in his continued role as an ambassador for the team and Alpine he will help to develop the car for the coming season, which gets underway next month. 

 

Some established teams have already shown interest in Pierre’s considerable experience of endurance racing and seven-time participation in the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours. Considerations into Pierre’s next steps are already underway and an announcement will be made in due course.

 

Pierre said: “I look forward to returning to the team with whom I won the ELMS title last year. We had a triumphant 2013 and it is a pleasure to be joining the team for the pre-season test at Paul Ricard. I hope to be able to contribute to the development of the car for the coming season. There are also plenty of discussions underway about my own immediate future with some very interesting options open. I hope to be able to make an announcement soon.”

 

Signatech-Alpine CEO Philippe Sinault added: “It will be great to return to Paul Ricard with Pierre as part of our team. We have fantastic memories from last year’s title at the track and Pierre has always been a key part of our team’s success. It is fitting that he joins us for this first test of the new season and to be able to benefit from his experience and know-how.”