6 H. of Fuji - Philippe Sinault (Alpine) : « Give everything we have »

So of course, since Monza, the BoP has been revised (see HERE). But as Philippe Sinault, the French team's principal, admits, "We are heading to Fuji in good shape, much better than we thought at the beginning of the year."

And for good reason, Matthieu Vaxiviere-André Negrao-Nicolas Lapierre are leading the Drivers' standings with respectively 10 and 30 points ahead of the trios Buemi-Hartley-Hirakawa and Conway-Kobayashi-Lopez (see HERE). The situation is the opposite but not desperate in the Constructors' championship, where the French team still has a 15-point deficit over Toyota.

On the home ground of their Japanese rival, what can the French team hope for? "We are extremely motivated", says Philippe Sinault. The circuit has special characteristics, including a very long straight, which requires a compromise between top speed and aerodynamic load. Motricity on the exit of tight corners and tyre wear are also important issues, especially if it rains. We will have to be quick to respond and attentive to what is going on to remain proactive when it comes to race developments and incidents."

And try to maximise its chances, as the team has done since the beginning of the year outside the 24 Hours of Le Mans. "However, we are sure the qualities of our car will allow us to excel, and we intend to give it everything we have. The goal is to remain in contention for the title on merit before the season-finale, and this will require a good result, so at least a podium result."

To achieve this, they will need to beat two LMHs at least!