With Alpine’s impending Hypercar exit, what’s next for Signatech?

While Alpine's FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar farewell tour is now underway, a big remaining question is what happens to Signatech, the outfit that runs the Alpine Endurance Team program.

Signatech, founded in 1990 and led by Philippe Sinault, has been a key pillar in Alpine’s modern sports car racing story. It first partnered with the French brand in 2013 and has played a crucial role in helping it climb the ladder from LMP2 to LMP1 and now to Hypercar, winning races and titles along the way.

As recently as 2024, the future of the Signatech-Alpine partnership appeared set to be secured long-term, with the French brand purchasing a minority stake in Sinault’s team. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been able to look a minimum of four or five years ahead. That’s why this is fantastic,” the Frenchman explained to RACER late in the ’24 season.

But now, with no factory Hypercars to run in 2027 for Alpine – and no other relevant sports car program to shift focus to – Signatech faces a major challenge to find a way back onto the grid in the WEC next year.

“It’s a difficult time... but it’s not our decision,” Sinault told RACER at the Imola season opener. “The decision was taken. Our future now, individual and common, is the same for everybody.

“We have to be focused on this year and do a good job to prove to everybody that we are a good team, we have a good package, and we are ready to perform. We must be focused on our job. We have some guarantees from Alpine that we will go to the end of the season; we have the budget for this.

“Our commitment now is to deliver the job and prove to everybody that we have done a good job this winter. In this new world, we must be ready in our personal and professional lives to make this kind of decision.”

When asked whether Signatech could run the A424s as a semi-works effort next year as a compromise, Sinault confirmed that discussions are ongoing.

“We don’t know at the moment,” he responded. “We plan to discuss and find a fair issue. I’m not a businessman, I’m a racer. If you want to continue in Hypercar, you must be under the manufacturer flag, so we will see for the future.”

If talks with Alpine do not produce a solution, Sinault admitted that Signatech may look at opportunities with other brands.

“We are ready to talk with newcomers if there are newcomers,” he confirmed. “But at the moment, I prefer to continue to talk with Alpine. Alpine is my partner, and the future is mainly on the track at the moment.

“It’s part of my job, but this future is on track now. Each mechanic, engineer and driver has to prove we are a good team.”

The team showed strongly at the opening round of a season that has become something of an audition for Signatech. James Moy Photography/Getty Images

In the meantime, Alpine is locked in for the season ahead. With a key Joker update approved over the winter, Sinault believes "Les Bleus" have an opportunity to make an impression in year three of the A424 program. Imola was certainly a strong start, with the No. 35 crew showing speed throughout and finishing just off the podium in fourth.

“We did a good job in improving the car with our staff, Viry staff and Alpine Racing staff,” Sinault added. “The job was done before the announcement (of the withdrawal). We know the car well now, we identified the improvement points, so we did a good job. But we must be focused because at the moment we are far from where we want to be with our knowledge on tires and each new compound.

“From outside, it’s difficult to notice the improvement (to the aero). We worked very hard on the internal flow. On paper, computer and the wind tunnel it’s an improvement. But the reality is on track. During tests at Le Castellet, Motorland and Portimao, it looks better than in the past. We also have a perfect balance in our line-up. But we must stay humble.”