Alpine Removes Da Costa and Makowiecki from Fuji WEC Lineup

Alpine has withdrawn Antonio Felix da Costa and Fred Makowiecki from its lineup for the upcoming World Endurance Championship round at Fuji Speedway.

The French constructor will transition to two-driver crews for the sixth round of the season, with Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi piloting the #35 A424, while Jules Gounon and Victor Martins will share the sister #36 entry.

Both drivers were initially listed on the original entry list for the Fuji 6 Hours published earlier this month, but Alpine confirmed on Tuesday that they will not participate in the race.

Neither driver is expected to return for the final two rounds of the season in Barcelona and Monza, though Alpine has yet to officially confirm that their 2026 campaigns have been prematurely concluded.

The World Endurance Championship’s shift from long-distance races in Qatar and Bahrain to regular six-hour events in Europe means teams are no longer required to field three drivers per car this season.

#35 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Antonio Felix Da Costa, Ferdinand Habsburg, Charles Milesi, #36 Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424: Jules Gounon, Frederic Makowiecki, Victor Martins

Photo by: Paul Foster

Two-driver crews are increasingly prevalent in the Hypercar class, providing teams with greater strategic flexibility and affording drivers more track time during practice sessions. Aston Martin utilized two-driver crews for all races this year except the Le Mans 24 Hours, while Cadillac’s #12 entry also competed with just two drivers at Imola and Sao Paulo due to Alex Lynn’s absence.

These adjustments to Alpine’s lineup occur during a transitional phase for the brand. Following the Renault Group’s announcement of its plans to exit Hypercar by year-end, its operational partner Signatech is actively seeking a new manufacturer to assume control of the programme. Chinese automaker Geely has been heavily linked to a partnership with Signatech for 2027.

Furthermore, da Costa’s probable departure from Alpine lends weight to speculation that he will join Cadillac next year, reuniting with the Jota team alongside which he secured the Le Mans and WEC LMP2 titles in 2022.

The lineup changes come almost exactly a year after Habsburg, Milesi, and Paul-Loup Chatin triumphed to deliver Alpine its maiden Hypercar victory with the A424 at Fuji.

While Alpine has not replicated its previous levels of success this season amid intensifying Hypercar competition, it achieved its first podium of 2026 at Austin earlier this month, with da Costa, Milesi, and Habsburg finishing third in the Lone Star Le Mans.

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