De Vries in battle for win at Le Mans — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 team boss rues ‘CRUEL’ factor after Le Mans disaster

There was a deflating double DNF at the famous endurance race

Kevin McKenna

Monday 17 June 2024 23:00

One group struggling to make an impact on the Formula 1 grid has endured a torrid time at another iconic motorsport event.

Between June 15-16, 186 drivers from across the world descended on north-west France to participate in one of the biggest spectacles on the sporting calendar - the Le Mans 24 Hours.

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The showpiece race is the ultimate endurance test, with teams tasked with covering the greatest distance over a 24-hour period.

This year's edition featured no less than 18 ex-F1 drivers, including former world champion Jenson Button, as well as Nyck de Vries and Daniil Kvyat.

Ex-Haas star Mick Schumacher represented Alpine at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but the driver and team suffered a dreadful weekend, with both cars retiring from the race within just six hours with suspected engine issues.

Alpine were forced to retire two cars from the iconic race

Mick Schumacher represented the team at Le Mans

Problems mount for French outfit

It's the latest setback for the French outfit, who - led by Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon in F1 - have delivered a series of underwhelming performances in F1 this season too.

The team have scored just five points in what has been a dismal campaign, and find themselves in a battle to avoid finishing bottom of the constructors' standings.

The Alpine Le Mans team runs through the same parent company as the F1 outfit, but were using Mechachrome engines, which had been used in F2 and F3, though the team previously assured media that "on the engine side, we are quite okay.”

Speaking to Soy Motor after the watching the team's disaster in France over the weekend, its F1 boss Bruno Famin expressed his 'disappointment' with the performance.

Bruno Famin expressed his frustration following the weekend's results

"We knew that this was something that could happen in first participation [in hypercars] in the 24 Hours and we have to take into account that it is only the fourth race of the A424," he said.

“So we expected to encounter some problems. Obviously, this is part of the learning process, but that doesn't make us feel any less disappointed.

"Motor racing is sometimes a cruel sport, but seeing these faces, I am convinced that our team will be able to come back and fight for victory in the future."

Ferrari Formula 1 McLaren Alpine Esteban Ocon Pierre Gasly