Alpine’s Interlagos pace undone by tyres, penalties and punctures

Alpine showed the pace — but not the finish

Alpine left Interlagos with two cars outside the points, despite showing clear front-running potential throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship race. The A424s were competitive from the opening sessions, but tyre wear, penalties and punctures ultimately decided the outcome.

The #36 car, started by Frédéric Makowiecki, was forced into an early second pit-stop after suffering greater-than-expected tyre wear. Its recovery was then compromised by a five-second procedural penalty and a front-left puncture. Martins took over for the middle phase before Jules Gounon completed the final two hours.

A late economy drive, designed to avoid a final splash-and-dash stop for fuel, restricted the car to 11th place.

The #35 strategy briefly put Alpine in contention

Ferdinand Habsburg lost six positions on the opening lap, prompting Alpine to alter the #35’s strategy. The decision elevated the Austrian into the lead, after which António Félix da Costa maintained the momentum in an entertaining fight with eventual winner Raffaele Marciello.

Milesi kept the car in contention for a podium and, with 45 minutes remaining, passed Dries Vanthoor through LMGT3 traffic. However, a puncture soon forced an early final stop, dropping the #35 to tenth — one position ahead of its sister car.

Habsburg said the team’s stint performance was a “pleasant surprise” compared with last year, while da Costa felt the alternative strategy could have delivered a podium with better luck. Milesi also pointed to brake issues and a lack of consistency, despite periods when Alpine had the pace to fight at the front.

Team management shared that assessment. Sporting Director Nicolas Lapierre said the punctures prevented Alpine from fighting to the finish, while Team Principal Philippe Sinault stressed that the final positions did not reflect the A424’s true level.

The campaign now resumes at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas from 4–6 September, following the summer break. Alpine will aim to convert the progress seen in Brazil into a stronger result in Texas, as the championship continues its wider calendar programme detailed in this FIA WEC schedule update.