Ferdinand Habsburg will compete with the Alpine Endurance Team for a third consecutive season in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar category in 2026. The experienced Austrian aims to build on a breakthrough campaign with the French manufacturer last year.
Habsburg has become a familiar presence in the endurance racing paddock since joining the championship in 2021. During his debut season, he captured the LMP2 class title with Team WRT and secured his first victory at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
From LMP2 champion to Hypercar contender
After establishing himself as one of endurance racing’s rising stars, Habsburg stepped up to the championship’s top class in 2024 with Alpine. The move followed his earlier success in the European Le Mans Series.
Driving the Alpine A424, he delivered a consistent first season in the category. Notably, he finished inside the top seven four times across six races.
The following year proved even more memorable. Habsburg played a key role in Alpine’s historic victory during the championship’s landmark 100th race at Fuji Speedway in Japan. He shared the winning #35 entry with Paul-Loup Chatin and Charles Milesi, celebrating an emotional triumph for the team.
Habsburg joins strengthened Alpine line-up for 2026 WEC campaign
Alpine has strengthened its driver roster ahead of the new season. The squad has added António Félix da Costa, champion of the Formula E 2019/20 season, along with promising single-seater graduate Victor Martins.
Meanwhile, experienced racer Frédéric Makowiecki remains part of the line-up. With Habsburg confirmed, Alpine now has only two remaining seats to fill across its pair of Hypercar entries for the upcoming campaign. Habsburg expressed his enthusiasm for continuing with the team.
“Third time’s the charm, they say!” quipped Habsburg. “I love racing with Alpine, and now I know what it feels like to win with the brand, the excitement is all the higher. You can’t believe how happy I am to participate in all eight rounds with this team and particularly Le Mans, where we will do our absolute best and try our damn hardest to go for the win this year. We’re already working hard on our pre-season preparations – Qatar can’t come soon enough!”
Team principal Philippe Sinault emphasised the value Habsburg brings to the team both on and off the track.
“Ferdinand is the perfect embodiment of an endurance driver – the kind of driver you dream of having in your team and as a team-mate,” added Team Principal, Philippe Sinault. “He has genuine race intelligence. He understands situations instinctively, whether at the start of a race or in the middle of the night at Le Mans, and he knows how to adapt his driving accordingly.
Sinault continued, “He is also an exceptional team player who always puts the team’s interests first, with a unifying mindset and an incredibly infectious smile. He will be one of our key strengths for this new campaign, and I am both proud and delighted to be able to count upon him for his third season with the team.”
Habsburg targets another strong WEC season with Alpine in 2026
The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season will begin with the ten-hour opener in Qatar on 28 March. The calendar then continues with rounds at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Later races will take place at Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Circuit of the Americas and Fuji Speedway before the season concludes with the traditional eight-hour finale at Bahrain International Circuit.
With Habsburg returning for a third campaign, Alpine aims to build on its recent progress and continue its push toward consistent victories in the Hypercar era.
