Charles Milesi and Victor Martins had underlined the potential of the A424 on Saturday by qualifying the #35 and #36 third and sixth respectively. On Sunday, Ferdinand Habsburg took the start in the #35, with Frédéric Makowiecki beginning the six-hour contest at the wheel of the #36.
A brief shower prompted additional formation laps before the start, but the track quickly dried. Once racing began, Habsburg and Makowiecki kept both Alpines in the leading group through the early Full Course Yellow periods. At the end of the opening hour, the #35 and #36 ran fourth and fifth.
The two strategies then began to diverge. At the official two-hour timing point, the #36 was fifth, while the #35 was classified fifteenth immediately after its second stop. The #35 also received a five-second penalty for a pit-lane procdure, but its underlying pace enabled Milesi to bring it back to second by half-distance, with the #36 fifth.
Jules Gounon took over the #36 from Makowiecki, before António Félix da Costa replaced Milesi in the #35. Strong energy management and consistent race pace kept both crews firmly in contention. Following the first Safety Car period, the two A424s continued to challenge at the front and were classified third and fourth after four hours.
Martins then replaced Gounon in the #36 with Milesi returning to the #35 for the run to the chequered flag. A late sequence of neutralisations split the fortunes of the two crews. With one hour remaining, the #35 was second, while the timing of the final Virtual Safety Car and its sixth stop had left the #36 twelfth.
Martins responded with an incisive final stint, using the pace of the A424 to recover seven positions and bring the #36 home fifth. At the front, Milesi remained in the fight setting the second-fastest lap of the race. He crossed the line second on the road, before a five-second penalty to pit-lane procedure placed the #35 third in the final classification.
The result delivered valuable championship points and confirmed the performance shown by Alpine throughout the weekend. Martins's 1:52.074 in Hypercar qualifying was the second-fastest lap of the entire event, while Milesi's race benchmark further demonstrated the A424's competitiveness over a full stint.
Alpine Endurance Team now turns its attention to the 6 Hours of Fuji, the sixth round of the eight-race FIA World Endurance Championship, from 25 to 27 September.
QUOTES
Crew #35
António Félix da Costa
« This is my first podium with Alpine and my first in Hypercar, so it is a special result. We were in the fight throughout and, although the neutralisations affected our strategy, finishing on the podium gives us strong momentum for the final three races. »
Charles Milesi
« “We had a very strong race and the team made good strategic calls throughout. It is rewarding to finally convert our performance into a podium and score important points with both cars. Everyone deserves this result, and now we need to carry the same level into the rest of the season.”. »
Ferdinand Habsburg
« It is an honour and a pleasure to race with this team. Alpine gave us a reliable and competitive car, and it was great to fight at the front. A huge thank you to the engineers and mechanics for their decisions and hard work. They gave us the opportunity to stand on the overall podium, and I am proud to share this result with them. »
Crew #36
Frédéric Makowiecki
«Fifth place gives us our strongest points finish of the season. We had one of the best cars this weekend and showed that we can compete at the front. The next step is to ensure that we execute every part of the race at the same level.»
Jules Gounon
« Third and fifth is a strong result for the team. The timing of the final Virtual Safety Car did not favour us, but that is part of endurance racing. We remained competitive and brought both cars home inside the top five, which is a deserved reward for everyone's hard work. »
Victor Martins
« Fred and Jules did a very strong job and kept the car at the front throughout their stints. The last neutralisation left us twelfth, so recovering to fifth made for an intense final hour. It demonstrated the car's performance and gave the entire crew a result they can be proud of.»
Management
Yann Paranthoën, Chief Engineer, Alpine Endurance Team
« Third and fifth underline the performance of both A424s across the weekend. The #35 remained in the victory fight, while Victor's recovery from twelfth to fifth demonstrated the #36's race pace. We leave Austin with an important points haul and useful lessons that will help us improve our execution at Fuji.»
Nicolas Lapierre, directeur sportif Alpine Endurance Team
« It was a demanding race from a strategic perspective, with changing conditions and several neutralisations, but the team adapted well throughout. The drivers performed strongly and both cars remained in contention. Bringing home third and fifth is an excellent result and a very positive way to return to the podium.»
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal, Alpine Endurance Team
« This is our best combined result and first podium of the season, with both cars achieving our top-five objective. It rewards the work of the entire team and confirms the competitiveness of our package. Victor's final stint and Charles's drive to the podium completed a strong collective performance. Congratulations to everyone. We now look forward to Fuji. »
CLASSIFICATIONS
Lone Star Le Mans
- Ferrari AF Corse n°50
- Alpine Endurance Team n°35
- Alpine Endurance Team n°36
Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA des pilotes Hypercar
- Rast / Frijns – 75 points
- Da Costa / Habsburg / Milesi – 44 points
- Gounon / Makowiecki / Martins – 4 points
Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA des constructeurs Hypercar
- Toyota – 140 points
- Alpine – 66 points ...
