Lapierre Announces Immediate Retirement from Racing

Four-time Le Mans class winner Nicolas Lapierre confirms immediate racing retirement…

Nicolas Lapierre has announced that he will retire from racing effectively immediately, bringing an end to a career that included four 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins.

As previously reported by Sportscar365, the Frenchman had been considering hanging up his helmet in favour of a management role within Alpine’s Hypercar program.

In a video statement posted to social media on Wednesday, Lapierre announced he will step away prior to the next month’s FIA World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain.

“Today is a very important day for me,” Lapierre said.

“I’m here to announce that Fuji was my last race as a driver. It’s time for me to hang up my helmet and end this chapter of my life.

“It was great to finish this journey on the podium and spray the champagne once more. It was an honour for me to live for my passion for so many years and to do what I love.”

Lapierre will bow out with a third-place finish at September’s 6 Hours of Fuji, during which he secured the first podium finish for the Alpine A424 alongside Mick Schumacher and Matthieu Vaxiviere.

After a successful junior single seater career that included a Macau Grand Prix win, Lapierre transitioned into sports car racing and spent the first phase of his career with Team Oreca.

He subsequently started a three-year stint driving for the Toyota Gazoo Racing LMP1 program before leaving in 2015 and transitioning to LMP2.

The 2016 season then saw the start of a successful relationship with Philippe Sinault’s Signatech operation the endures to the present day.

Highlights of Lapierre’s time behind the wheel include four Le Mans class wins in LMP2, three of which came driving for Signatech, and a pair of overall victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Additionally, he captured the LMP2 world championship with Signatech in both 2016 and 2018-19.

In his retirement video, Lapierre further hinted that he is likely to take up a management role with Alpine, saying:

“Now it’s time for a new chapter of my life. A new chapter on the other side of the pit wall – the side that I love. I love it as much as I loved racing, so I won’t be far away.”

It has not yet been announced who will take Lapierre’s place aboard the No. 36 Alpine at Bahrain, although reserve driver Jules Gounon has already made several appearances with the team this season.