Alpine's Final WEC Race: Why It's Leaving and What Happens Next

After three seasons in the Hypercar class, Alpine is preparing to say goodbye to the World Endurance Championship at the 2026 6 Hours of Monza. But with the A424 finally delivering results, is the French manufacturer leaving just as things are getting interesting?

There's a certain irony to Alpine's final weekend in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). After spending three seasons developing its A424 Hypercar and gradually becoming a genuine contender, the French manufacturer is calling time on its endurance racing programme.

This weekend's 6 Hours of Monza marks Alpine's final race as a factory WEC team, following an announcement in February that it would withdraw from the championship at the end of 2026 to concentrate on Formula 1.

It's a disappointing end to a programme that has shown real progress, particularly in the latter half of this season. And while the decision has been made at boardroom level, it's the drivers and the people behind the team who are now left wondering what comes next.

A Season of Progress for Alpine

Alpine entered the 2026 WEC season with two A424 Hypercars and a revised driver line-up, hoping to build on its breakthrough victory at Fuji in 2025.

The season started promisingly, with the #35 car finishing fourth at Imola, narrowly missing out on a podium. Spa proved more difficult, but Alpine followed that up with its best-ever combined result at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing sixth and tenth.

São Paulo was another frustrating weekend, with punctures and strategy decisions leaving both cars outside the top nine despite showing strong qualifying pace.

Things finally came together at the Circuit of the Americas in September. The #35 Alpine, driven by Ferdinand Habsburg, Charles Milesi and António Félix da Costa, finished third, while the sister #36 car took fifth. It was the team's strongest combined result since the A424 programme began.

Another podium followed at Fuji, although the team endured a more difficult outing in Barcelona, where contact and tyre trouble prevented it from capitalising on its potential.

Heading into Monza, Alpine sits fifth in the Hypercar Manufacturers' Championship. It's not quite the farewell season the team might have hoped for, but the performances suggest the A424 still had more to offer.

Why Is Alpine Leaving Endurance Racing?

Alpine's decision to withdraw from WEC has less to do with its performance on track and more to do with the wider challenges facing its parent company, Renault Group.

Announcing the decision in February, Alpine CEO Philippe Krief pointed to slower-than-expected growth in the automotive industry, particularly the electric vehicle market, and the need to prioritise investment in Alpine's expanding road-car range.

Ultimately, the company has decided that Formula 1 offers a better platform to promote the Alpine brand globally.

It's an understandable commercial decision, even if it's a frustrating one from a racing perspective. Developing a competitive Hypercar programme takes considerable time and investment, and Alpine is walking away just as that work is beginning to pay off.

But Alpine's departure doesn't necessarily mean the end of the A424.

Could the Alpine Hypercar Still Race in 2027?

Signatech, the French racing operation responsible for running Alpine's WEC programme, has been exploring ways to keep the cars on the grid under another manufacturer's name.

Chinese automotive group Geely emerged as a potential partner, with discussions reportedly progressing throughout the summer. However, those negotiations collapsed in October, leaving Signatech searching for another solution.

Team principal Philippe Sinault hasn't given up. Speaking ahead of Monza, he confirmed that discussions with other manufacturers were continuing, although time is running out ahead of the late-November deadline for 2027 entries.

For now, there is no confirmed deal to keep the A424 racing next year. And with the deadline approaching, the possibility of losing both cars from the WEC grid is becoming increasingly real.

What Happens to Alpine's Drivers?

Perhaps the most immediate consequence of Alpine's withdrawal is the uncertainty facing its drivers.

For the final three races of the season, Alpine has run two-driver crews, with Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi in the #35, and Jules Gounon and Victor Martins in the #36. António Félix da Costa and Frédéric Makowiecki were dropped from the race line-up ahead of Fuji.

For Gounon, who has been involved with the programme since its Hypercar debut, the timing is particularly frustrating. He has acknowledged that finding another Hypercar seat for 2027 will be difficult, with many teams having already settled their driver line-ups. He does, however, have an existing Mercedes-AMG GT3 contract.

Habsburg has also admitted that he isn't expecting to race the A424 next year, while Martins, who only joined Alpine's WEC programme this season, has made it clear that remaining in Hypercar is his priority.

It's a reminder of how quickly things can change in motorsport. Drivers can spend years working towards a seat in a top-level championship, only to find their future determined by decisions that have little to do with their performance.

And it's not just the drivers. Signatech's engineers, mechanics and other team personnel face the prospect of an uncertain future if a new manufacturer cannot be secured.

One Last Race at Monza

For now, Alpine's attention is firmly on the 6 Hours of Monza.

The team arrives in Italy knowing the A424 is capable of fighting near the front. There's also a sense of unfinished business. After the progress made this season, another podium would be a fitting way to end the programme.

But whatever happens on Sunday, there's something disappointing about watching a team finally find its feet, only to see the project come to an end.

For Alpine, Monza marks the conclusion of its latest chapter in top-level endurance racing. For Signatech and its drivers, the hope is that it won't be the end of the story altogether.