WEC: Richelmi secures LMP2 drive

Former GP2 driver Stephane Richelmi will move from the GT to the prototype ranks for an assault on this year's World Endurance Championship with the Signatech Alpine LMP2 squad.

Richelmi, who raced for the WRT Audi team in the Blancpain GT Series last season, will share Signatech's lead Alpine-badged ORECA-Nissan 05 with former Toyota LMP1 driver Nicolas Lapierre and ex-Formula 3 driver Gustavo Menezes.

Team regular Nelson Panciatici – part of Signatech's 2013/14 European Le Mans Series winning line-up – stays on but moves over to the second car entered under the Baxi DC Racing Alpine banner. The Frenchman will share the car with David Cheng, who has put the deal together with Signatech, and another former GP2 racer in Ho-Pin Tung.

Team boss Philippe Sinault said: "It is very satisfying to have enlisted the services of Stephane Richelmi for the #36 car. Our driver line-ups have now been finalised and I think they illustrate the determination behind Alpine's racing program for 2016."

Sinault expressed disappointment at not being able to find a seat for Paul-Loup Chatin, who has raced for the team for the past two seasons, but said that he hoped to be able to work with him again in the future.

The team will be present at next week's Dunlop tyre test at the Aragon circuit in Spain with its two new ORECA coupes.

Originally on Autosport.com