Alpine Endurance Team will field two-driver line-ups in both of its A424 Hypercars at this weekend’s 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Fuji after benching António Félix da Costa and Frédéric Makowiecki.
Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg will share the No.35 Alpine A424 in Japan, while Jules Gounon and Victor Martins will drive the sister No.36. Alpine confirmed the revised crews in its Fuji preview on September 22, although the manufacturer did not publicly explain why it had removed Da Costa and Makowiecki from the line-ups.
The change comes at a significant moment for Alpine. The manufacturer arrives at Fuji after recording its strongest combined result of the 2026 season at Circuit of The Americas, while its current factory Hypercar programme will end after this year. Sportscar365 also understands that Da Costa and Makowiecki will not return to Alpine’s race line-ups following Fuji.
Alpine drops two drivers for Fuji
Da Costa joined Alpine ahead of the 2026 season and formed part of the No.35 line-up alongside Milesi and Habsburg. Meanwhile, Makowiecki continued in the No.36 with Gounon and new signing Martins. Alpine had therefore run three-driver crews in both A424s throughout the campaign before making the change for Japan.
The new arrangement leaves Milesi and Habsburg as a two-driver pairing in the No.35, while Gounon and Martins will split the six-hour race in the No.36. Alpine’s official Fuji announcement describes the decision simply as both cars adopting two-driver line-ups for the Japanese round.
Sportscar365 reports that the move goes further than a one-off adjustment for Fuji, with neither Da Costa nor Makowiecki expected to return to Alpine’s race crews during the remainder of the manufacturer’s 2026 WEC programme.
Alpine has not publicly provided a reason for sidelining either driver.
Da Costa leaves after Alpine’s strongest result of 2026
The timing proves particularly notable for Da Costa, who helped Alpine secure its best finish of the season only weeks earlier at Circuit of The Americas.
Da Costa, Milesi and Habsburg finished third in the No.35 A424 at the Lone Star Le Mans after running near the front throughout the six-hour race. The result gave Alpine its first podium of 2026, while Gounon, Martins and Makowiecki brought the No.36 home fifth to complete the manufacturer’s first double top-five finish since the A424 programme began.
The two results earned Alpine 25 Manufacturers’ Championship points and increased its total to 66, leaving it fifth in the standings before Fuji. Alpine therefore arrives in Japan with considerably stronger momentum than it carried through much of the earlier campaign.
Da Costa had returned to the WEC this year after spending two seasons away from the championship while concentrating on Formula E. The former Formula E champion previously competed with JOTA and won the 2022 LMP2 title before Alpine brought him back into the championship for its final factory A424 season.
Da Costa linked with Cadillac move for 2027
Da Costa’s apparent early departure also comes as the Portuguese driver evaluates options to remain in the WEC beyond Alpine’s withdrawal.
He has already stated his intention to continue in the championship despite Alpine ending its factory programme, and Sportscar365 reports that he has recently emerged as a potential candidate for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in 2027.
A potential opening exists within Cadillac’s line-up after Sébastien Bourdais confirmed that he will not remain part of JOTA’s WEC programme next season. Cadillac has increasingly moved towards using drivers across both its WEC and IMSA programmes, although the manufacturer has not confirmed Da Costa as part of its 2027 plans.
Da Costa’s WEC future therefore remains unresolved, but his removal from the Fuji line-up potentially brings his short Alpine stint to an earlier conclusion than originally expected.
Makowiecki also steps out of No.36 Alpine
Makowiecki will likewise miss Fuji after spending the season alongside Gounon and Martins in the No.36 A424.
The experienced Frenchman joined Alpine’s Hypercar programme before the 2025 season after a lengthy spell as a Porsche factory driver. He remained with the team for 2026 as Alpine paired him and Gounon with Martins, who moved into endurance racing after competing in Formula 2.
The trio qualified sixth at COTA before finishing fifth, helping Alpine secure its strongest combined weekend of the season. Nevertheless, Alpine has opted to continue with only Gounon and Martins at Fuji.
Unlike Da Costa, Makowiecki has not featured prominently in reports surrounding another 2027 Hypercar seat. However, Alpine’s impending withdrawal means every member of its current driver group faces an uncertain future as the Signatech-operated programme approaches its conclusion.
Milesi and Habsburg return to scene of 2025 victory
The reduced No.35 crew nevertheless brings together two drivers with particularly strong memories of Fuji.
Milesi and Habsburg helped deliver the Alpine A424’s maiden WEC victory at the Japanese circuit in 2025. They shared the car with Paul-Loup Chatin, who has since moved to Genesis Magma Racing, as Alpine won the championship’s 100th race.
Consequently, Alpine returns to the circuit where its LMDh programme achieved its breakthrough result with two members of that victorious line-up sharing the No.35.
The manufacturer has also historically performed well at Fuji, while the circuit’s mixture of a very long main straight and technical final sector places particular emphasis on aerodynamic efficiency, traction and tyre management. Unpredictable weather can add another strategic complication during Japan’s late-September conditions.
Team principal Philippe Sinault believes the team can build on its performance at COTA as it returns to the site of its first A424 victory.
“Fuji is a special event for us. This is where we claimed the A424’s first Hypercar victory last year, an incredibly emotional moment that demonstrated our ability to win at the highest level against extremely strong competition. We also return to Japan with real momentum after Austin, where we achieved our best overall team result with both cars in the top five.
The whole team is approaching Fuji with great enthusiasm and determination to confirm the level of performance shown in recent races. With its long straight, demanding technical sections and often unpredictable weather, particularly with the event taking place during Japan’s typhoon season, Fuji is always a unique challenge. We will need to be ready for every scenario and execute a strong weekend to put ourselves in a position to fight at the front again.”
Fuji comes during Alpine’s final factory WEC season
The driver changes also form part of a wider period of transition for Alpine’s endurance programme.
Alpine announced earlier this year that its factory Hypercar effort will end after the 2026 campaign, bringing the works A424 programme to a close after three seasons. However, both Alpine and Signatech have explored ways to keep the ORECA-based LMDh running beyond the manufacturer’s official withdrawal.
Reports have also linked Chinese automotive group Geely with the Signatech operation, although no transaction has been formally confirmed. Sportscar365 reports that discussions have encountered complications connected to wider negotiations involving Renault Group.
Those uncertainties place additional significance on Alpine’s final races with the A424. The team remains fifth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after its COTA podium and now returns to the circuit where it achieved the car’s first WEC victory.
However, it will attempt to repeat that success with a substantially different driver structure. Milesi and Habsburg will carry the No.35 challenge without Da Costa, while Gounon and Martins will handle the No.36 following Makowiecki’s removal.
The 6 Hours of Fuji takes place on Sunday, September 27, with Alpine aiming to build on its double top-five result at COTA as the manufacturer moves towards the conclusion of its factory Hypercar programme.
