[22-07-2019]
PIERRE RAGUES PREPARES FOR PROLOGUE AHEAD OF NEW WEC CAMPAIGN
 Pierre Ragues will open a new chapter in his endurance career this week as he begins preparations for the 2019/2020 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the Signatech Alpine Elf squad.
Pierre, who has re-joined the reigning LMP2 champions for an exciting new campaign, will get his first taste of the Alpine A470 Gibson during the two-day Prologue at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The traditional start to a fresh WEC season offers a chance for crews to get acquainted before a brand-new racing season, which will run from Silverstone in September all the way to the 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans next June.
Pierre will take part in the Prologue with his former team-mate Andre Negrao and Thomas Laurent, as the trio look ahead to defend the Signatech Alpine colours in the competitive LMP2 class.
The start of the new WEC season comes just over a month since the conclusion of the 2018/19 championship, while Pierre is also midway through his European Le Mans Series commitments. Having enjoyed a strong four-hour race at the Barcelona track on Saturday, Pierre will have four sessions, each of four-hours in duration, during the Prologue.
Pierre said: “It feels exciting and a bit strange to be starting a new season in WEC, while I am halfway through the ELMS year. I am honoured to have the opportunity to represent Signatech Alpine Elf, and to re-join the team with whom I secured the ELMS title in 2013. It feels great to be returning to the WEC paddock and to begin our preparations for an exciting year of endurance racing. I am up to speed around Barcelona, following the ELMS weekend, but I am really looking forward to more track time to discover the Alpine A470 Gibson – and working with Andre and Thomas. We have a lot of groundwork to cover, with the added pressure of defending the team’s LMP2 title, but that’s why the Prologue is so important.”
2019 PROLOGUE TIMETABLE
23 July
10:00-14:00 Session 1
17:00-21:00 Session 2
24 July
10:00-14:00 Session 3
17:00-21:00 Session 4
2019-2020 FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
23 July 2019 Prologue – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
1 September 2019 4 Hours of Silverstone
6 October 2019 6 Hours of Fuji
10 November 2019 4 Hours of Shanghai
14 December 2019 8 Hours of Bahrain
1 February 2020 6 Hours of Sao Paulo
March 2020 1000 Miles of Sebring
2 May 2020 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
13-14 June 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans
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