WEC: Alpine Reshuffles Line-up for Fuji 6 Hours
Alpine Reshuffles Line-up for Fuji 6 Hours
Alpine has announced a significant shake-up to its driver roster for the upcoming World Endurance Championship race at Fuji Speedway. The French manufacturer will move away from its three-driver format, opting instead for two-driver line-ups for the sixth round of the season.
As part of this tactical shift, Antonio Felix da Costa and Frederic Makowiecki have been removed from the original entry list. This decision comes at a pivotal moment for the team as it navigates a period of operational transition.
New Driver Pairings at Fuji
For the race at Fuji, Alpine will deploy two distinct crews in their A424 entries:
- The #35 A424 will be piloted by Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi.
- The #36 A424 will see Jules Gounon and Victor Martins sharing duties.
This move toward two-driver crews reflects a broader trend within the Hypercar class, where teams increasingly favor smaller crews to gain strategic advantages and provide drivers with more track time during practice sessions. Similar strategies have been utilized by Aston Martin and Cadillac throughout the current campaign.
A Transitioning Program
The driver changes arrive amid uncertainty surrounding Alpineâs long-term future in the top flight. With the Renault Group having previously indicated plans to depart from Hypercar at the end of the year, operational partner Signatech is reportedly searching for a new manufacturer to sustain the program. Rumors have already begun to circulate regarding a potential partnership with the Chinese brand Geely for 2027.
The departure of da Costa further fuels speculation regarding driver movements for the following season. Rumors suggest he may join Cadillac next year, which would mean a reunion with the Jota team that secured both Le Mans and WEC LMP2 titles alongside him in 2022.
Looking Back at Fuji
The timing of these changes is notable, as it marks exactly one year since Habsburg, Milesi, and Paul-Loup Chatin delivered Alpineâs first Hypercar victory at this very circuit. While the team has faced increased competition this season, they did manage to secure a podium at the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin earlier this month, with da Costa, Milesi, and Habsburg finishing third.
As the championship heads to Fuji, all eyes will be on whether these revised pairings can recapture the magic of Alpine's previous breakthrough at the Japanese venue.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.