Just when everything appeared to be finalised for Signatech's future, an extraordinary twist has emerged. The deal that was expected to see Geely Group take over Alpine's Hypercar programme in the FIA World Endurance Championship appears to have fallen through.
The news emerged from the European Le Mans Series paddock in Portimao, and was first reported by Italian-Endurance, coming as a surprise given the recent comments from those directly involved.
In particular, Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault told Motorsport.com at Fuji that everything was under control and that the situation had progressed well. He was sufficiently confident that he saw no reason for concern ahead of the deadline for WEC 2027 entries on 26 November.
However, developments behind the scenes appear to have taken a very different turn, pointing towards an increasingly tangible and seemingly inevitable outcome: the Alpine A424 LMDh cars may not be on the grid next year.
Since Renault Group's new CEO made the controversial decision to shut down Alpine's WEC programme, Sinault – founder of Team Signatech, which runs the French manufacturer's cars in the WEC – has personally sought to salvage what he could and secure a future for an operation built on extensive experience gained over the years in LMP2 and LMP1.
Initially, there was talk of Chinese manufacturers entering the picture, with BYD emerging as the leading candidate. The company had also set up its own stand in the fan village at the Le Mans 24 Hours, suggesting its presence was not merely a low-cost publicity exercise.
#36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Jules Gounon, Victor Martins
Photo by: JEP
Geely Group subsequently emerged as the more concrete possibility. The Chinese group already has ties with Renault through collaborations involving production cars, particularly in Latin America. Representatives from the Hangzhou-based company had also travelled to Alpine's facilities in Viry-Chatillon and Bourges to gain first-hand insight into its motorsport operations ahead of a potential entry into the WEC.
Although neither Renault/Alpine nor Geely has ever officially confirmed the discussions, meetings and negotiations had continued around the prospect of taking over the A424 programme, rebranding the cars to suit the Chinese group's requirements and building on the work already carried out by Signatech and its partners.
Sinault's own comments had suggested there were no major obstacles, making the latest developments all the more unexpected.
If the situation is confirmed by the parties involved, it now appears virtually impossible for the Oreca-chassis LMDh cars to line up on the WEC grid in 2027. One alternative would be to take a more measured approach and sit out a season, using the year to prepare for Geely's potential arrival in 2028.
Even that scenario, however, remains uncertain. With so many unanswered questions, Sinault and Signatech increasingly face the worrying prospect of shutting down their operation after the Monza finale on 8 November.
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