If Renault can translate the success it has had with the Alpine A450 European Le Mans racer that won the LMP2 class this year onto the street, then we’re really going to get one heck of a nice production sports car in 2016. It’s an impressive feat for any debuting team, and it was achieved with three podium finishes out of a total of five races.

Of the three podiums, the only victory was recorded in Hungary, where the Signatech Alpine team cruised ahead after 82 laps of an extremely wet Hungaroring track – it was still enough to secure the championship, though. The last race they entered was the Three Hours of Paul Ricard, in France, where they came in 4th.

This sets the stage nicely for next year’s edition of the championship, when the team will line up two cars that will give them twice as big of a chance to make it a double championship win.

Renault is being smart about this, and if there were an ideal time to re-launch the Alpine brand in the racing world, it would be now, to make the name familiar again, after a 35-year long absence.

By Andrei Nedelea

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