Alpine Shows Encouraging Pace Ahead of Le Mans Despite Tough Finish at Spa
Less than three weeks after the season opener in Italy, Alpine Endurance Team arrived in Belgium for the second round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, carrying strong momentum into Spa-Francorchamps.
From the opening practice sessions, the Alpine A424 proved immediately competitive, with the #36 machine topping the timesheets in FP2. Qualifying further underlined the team’s pace as Charles Milesi (#35) secured the fastest lap, while Jules Gounon (#36) claimed third. The pair maintained that form in what became the closest-contested Hyperpole session in WEC history. Milesi ultimately secured third on the grid, just 0.078 seconds shy of pole position, while Gounon completed Alpine’s strongest qualifying performance to date by locking out the second row alongside his team-mate.
On Saturday, Ferdinand Habsburg (#35) and Frédéric Makowiecki (#36) took the start on Michelin medium tires and held station through the opening phase before the first safety car interruption. Following the restart, Habsburg moved past the #94 Peugeot and steadily reeled in the leading #12 Cadillac as traffic intensified around the circuit. Makowiecki, meanwhile, remained firmly in touch with the leading group as several rivals opted for earlier pit stops.
Following strong double stints, Habsburg and Makowiecki handed over to António Félix da Costa and Victor Martins. Félix da Costa continued Alpine’s challenge against the #12 Cadillac, while Martins became embroiled in battles with the #94 Peugeot, #51 Ferrari and #20 BMW. As strategies began to split across the field, Félix da Costa capitalized on clear air to establish an advantage approaching twenty seconds before handing over to Charles Milesi. On the sister car, Martins passed the cockpit to Jules Gounon to keep the #36 entry firmly in contention.
The complexion of the race shifted dramatically during a later safety car period that compressed the field. Alpine responded with a rapid pit stop aimed at maximizing the #35 car’s strategy. However, delayed behind a backmarker at the restart, Milesi lost positions to the #15 BMW and #50 Ferrari. At the same time, Gounon was forced into an energy-management drive to avoid the need for an additional stop.
As the race entered its final hour with both Alpine entries still inside the top ten, Victor Martins returned to the #36 car, only for the team’s strategy to be compromised once more by the timing of a virtual safety car. Félix da Costa resumed driving duties aboard the #35 before two late safety car interventions reduced the run to the finish to a 24-minute sprint.
Running fifth at the restart, Félix da Costa was caught out on cold tires at the top of Raidillon. In a remarkable display of efficiency, Alpine’s mechanics replaced the left-rear caliper link, front bodywork and rear block in just three minutes, enabling the #35 A424 to rejoin and reach the chequered flag. Meanwhile, Martins mounted a final charge in an attempt to pressure the #8 Toyota.
By the finish of an increasingly intense contest, both Alpine A424s crossed the line just outside the top ten. While the team left Belgium frustrated to secure only a single manufacturers’ championship point, the weekend delivered several highly encouraging signs ahead of the next major challenge on the calendar: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, scheduled for 5–14 June.
Above contents © 2026 Alpine, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee
