Alpine Bows Out of WEC with a Podium at the 6 Hours of Monza

After three seasons competing with its A424 Hypercar, Alpine has signed off from the FIA World Endurance Championship with a fantastic second-place finish at the 6 Hours of Monza. While one car celebrated on the podium, the other suffered a disappointing retirement, bringing a bittersweet end to the French manufacturer’s endurance racing campaign.

For a team that announced earlier this year it would be leaving WEC at the end of 2026, it was a fitting way to say goodbye, even if the afternoon didn’t go entirely to plan.

A Podium to Finish Alpine’s WEC Campaign

Alpine arrived at Monza determined to end its WEC campaign on a high, and the #36 A424, driven by Jules Gounon and Victor Martins, certainly delivered.

Starting sixth on the grid, Gounon quickly established himself among the frontrunners, running third during the opening stages of the race. Martins continued that momentum, battling with Cadillac and BMW for the leading positions as the six-hour race unfolded.

It wasn’t an easy afternoon, with multiple Safety Cars, Virtual Safety Cars and Full Course Yellows disrupting the action. But Martins put in an impressive performance, including a move on Sheldon van der Linde’s BMW at the first chicane to reclaim second place. The #36 Alpine ultimately finished runner-up behind the race-winning #38 Cadillac, giving the team one final podium to celebrate. FIAWEC +1

Unfortunately, the sister #35 car wasn’t so lucky. Charles Milesi lost control at the Parabolica just after the halfway point, crashing heavily into the barriers and bringing out another Safety Car. Thankfully, Milesi walked away uninjured, but the damage forced the car into retirement. A particularly disappointing end for Milesi and teammate Ferdinand Habsburg, who had also been running competitively.

Alpine Leaves Just as Things Were Getting Interesting

There’s a certain irony to Alpine’s final result. After spending three seasons developing the A424 and gradually becoming a genuine contender in WEC’s fiercely competitive Hypercar category, the team is walking away just as it appears to be finding its feet.

As we explored in our earlier article, Alpine’s Final WEC Race: Why It’s Leaving and What Happens Next⁠, the decision to withdraw has less to do with performance on track and more to do with Alpine’s wider business strategy.

Announced in February 2026, the move will see Alpine concentrate its motorsport efforts on Formula 1, ending a programme that had finally begun delivering consistent results.

And while the team would undoubtedly have loved to see both cars cross the finish line, a second-place finish at Monza is a reminder of just how competitive the A424 had become.

One Last Dance in Blue

Alpine called its final weekend at Monza its “Last Dance in Blue”, marking the end of a significant chapter in the manufacturer’s endurance racing history.

The A424 made its Hypercar debut in 2024, securing its breakthrough victory at Fuji in 2025. But Alpine’s history in endurance racing stretches back much further, with victories in the LMP2 category at Le Mans and its famous overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 with the Renault Alpine A442B.

Although Alpine will now turn its attention to Formula 1, its departure leaves another gap on the WEC grid, particularly at a time when the championship’s Hypercar category is attracting some of the biggest manufacturers in motorsport.

For the drivers, engineers and everyone who has spent years developing the A424, however, there is at least one final result to celebrate.

It may not have been the victory Alpine dreamed of, but a podium at its final WEC race is certainly not a bad way to bow out.