THE ALPINE ELF EUROPA CUP HOSTS ITS NEW FIELD AT NOGARO

With its growing success since its revival in 2018, the Alpine Elf Europa Cup has come of age, establishing itself as the ideal springboard to the world of GT. Having seen several of its top drivers race the Alpine A110 GT4 or make the jump to endurance racing, the category is now preparing to initiate the race to succeed Lucas Frayssinet.

TWO MEN EXPECTED

Nogaro will host the season-opening round for the fifth consecutive year with a line-up that has undergone a veritable rejuvenation this winter. Among them, two men will be followed closely as former winners in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup: Matéo Herrero (Herrero Racing) and Alexis Garcin (Chazel Technologie Course Junior).

Matéo Herrero, who won the Junior category in 2019, will return to the track where he made his winning debut four years ago. Third in the general classification for his maiden campaign, he repeated the feat the following year with two successes in the Gers, but missed out on the title. After tackling GT4, the Noaillan native will try to rely on his experience to install himself at the sharp end of the field on his return to the A110 Cup.

Facing him, Alexis Garcin will try to continue his impressive rise in form seen throughout his first season in a car. Consistently in the top ten last year, the former kart racer steadily increased his pace culminating in his first victory in the Monza downpour. Sixth in the general classification and fifth in the Junior category, the driver from Lyon is back this year with ambitions logically revised upwards.

A YOUTH MOVEMENT

Fourteen Juniors - drivers under the age of 23 - will be at Nogaro, where the battle promises to be indecisive, intense and disputed in this field where it is anyone's for the taking.

Matéo Herrero and Alexis Garcin will cross paths with well-known rivals such as Louis Maurice (Code Racing Development), Jules Gougeon (Chazel Technologie Course Junior), Tim Mérieux (Autosport GP), and Romain Brun (Herrero Racing), all determined to reach a milestone in their second season with the Signatech-designed Alpine A110 Cup.

Some hopefuls will have clear intentions to upset the hierarchy. This will be the case of Lorens Lecertua and Enzo Geraci, two Chazel Technologie Course Junior protégés coming from the French F4 Championship, as Pierre Sancinena and Jean-Baptiste Mela before claiming the Alpine Elf Europa Cup crown. Other rookies to watch closely include Ethan Bernard (Herrero Racing), who won the Endurance Cup by Funyo, kart racer Lukas Papin (Autosport GP) and Léo Jousset (Race Cars Consulting), who is ready to discover the world of rear-wheel drive after impressing in Clio Cup France.

Lastly, the VPS Racing team created by Alpine Elf Endurance Team driver Matthieu Vaxiviere with Aurélien Panis and Raphaël Serrano, and supported by BWT Alpine F1 Team driver Pierre Gasly, will make its Alpine Elf Europa Cup debut. After rapidly imposing itself as the new reference in Mitjet, the structure will target the same success with its three Juniors: Romain Favre, Mitjet 2L France Trophy winner at the age of 17, Sami Dhahri, also a Mitjet transfer, and Willyam Gosselin, coming from the Ultimate Cup Series.

GENTLEMEN AND CHALLENGERS READY TO BATTLE

As always since 2018, the Gentlemen category - designed for drivers over 45 - will offer a race within the race.

Anthony Fournier (Race Cars Consulting) will defend his crown against Philippe Bourgois (Chazel Technologie Course), determined to regain the title he won in 2020. Last year's runner-up Laurent Richard (Herrero Racing) will also try to get his revenge in a class where we will find Pierre Macchi (Autosport GP), a regular in the discipline since 2018. Lastly, Alain Jacono (Chazel Technologie Course) will contest his first motorsport campaign a few days after claiming an Ultimate Cup GT Sprint category podium at Le Castellet with the A110 Cup.

A new class introduced this year, the Challengers category is dedicated to competitors aged between 23 and 44 with no track record, and its field is just as open. The experienced Denis Bernardi (Herrero Racing) and Pierre-Laurent Figuiere (Chazel Technologie Course), the ambitious Adrien Catelin (Code Racing Development) and Margaux Verza (Autosport GP), who will be keen to put her experience to good use after her first season in 2022, will all be up against it. In the Gers, the surprise could nonetheless come from guest driver Julien Fébreau. Already a winner in the Gentlemen's category at Nogaro in 2019, the French voice of Formula 1 will return to the Alpine Elf Europa Cup and try to create a sensation during his single appearance on a track he knows well with the n°110 Alpine A110 Cup!

Throughout this campaign, which will see them competing alongside the top European GT championships, competitors will also be vying for a generous prize fund spread evenly at each race meeting and in all categories. The eventual winner will receive a €40,000 purse with a view to moving up to GT4. In the Junior category, the champion will receive €15,000 if they wish to return to the Alpine Elf Europa Cup while the Challengers and Gentlemen categories winners will each receive a €10,000 stipend.

Scheduled for Sunday at 2.15 pm and Monday at 3.40 pm, the first two races of the year will be streamed live on the Alpine Elf Europa Cup YouTube channel and Facebook page.

2023 CALENDAR

8-10 April: Nogaro (France)

4-6 May: Magny-Cours (France)

1-4 June: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgique)

16-18 June: Dijon-Prenois (France)

14-16 September: Barcelone (Espagne)

6-8 October: Le Castellet (France)

TIMETABLE

Saturday 8 April

9:35-10:15 am: Free practice 1

1:30-2:10 pm: Free practice 2

5:30-5:50 pm: Qualifying 1

Sunday 9 April

2:15-2:45: Race 1

Monday 10 April

9:20-9:40 am: Qualifying 2

3:40-4:10: Race 2