Jules Gounon, a future to be carved in stone at Alpine?
Alpine's WEC reserve driver, Jules Gounon, could be promoted within the team. He is expected to be present at the final round of the championship. Maybe even more, if everything goes well.
He is a discreet man. But who entered through the main door. Called almost at the last minute in Imola, early in the season, Jules Gounon managed to get into the rhythm, without any experience in a prototype. The Ardèche native was chosen by Alpine to replace Ferdinand Habsburg, who was unfit after a double vertebrae fracture.
« It was not easy for him to arrive. Especially in a context like this where he replaced Ferdi. We all remain men. He was not ready for the two races before Le Mans (Imola and Spa) », acknowledged, for Motors Inside, Philippe Sinault, the director of Alpine endurance.
Throughout the races, the driver who is involved in another program with Mercedes has managed to find his place. Back at Fuji, this time for a long-planned event, he demonstrated that he had some serious driving skills. On board the #35, he unleashed all his potential and impressed his boss.
So he could drive the A424 again for the last round of the season in Bahrain, early November. At least that’s what our colleagues at Motorsport.com suggest. Questioned on the subject, Philippe Sinault did not want to confirm the information to us, but hinted at it. But not only that. The fate of the native of Aubenas could improve. He could become a full-time driver in 2025.
Alpine is hard at work refining its two driver line-ups. And one of them, Nicolas Lapierre, could be considering retirement, as mentioned by sportscar365.
The French brand is focusing on the long term: 2025 and 2026. This could therefore be a great opportunity for whoever is running under the Andorran banner.
