Four races. Half a championship. And everything still to play for.
Following the summer break, Alpine Endurance Team crosses the Atlantic once again as the FIA World Endurance Championship reconvenes in Texas for Lone Star Le Mans.
Austin opens the second half of the 2026 campaign and gives Alpine another opportunity to convert the promise of recent races into results reflecting the progress of the A424.
That progress was particularly visible in São Paulo. For the first time at Interlagos, both Alpines reached Hyperpole. Victor Martins secured third on the grid, just 0.067 seconds from pole position, while Charles Milesi took fifth. During the race, both cars again demonstrated their ability to run with the leaders before alternative strategies and two punctures prevented them from turning that pace into a representative result.
In a Hypercar category featuring 17 full-season cars from eight manufacturers, Alpine competes against seven other major automotive marques and has increasingly established itself among the fastest over a single lap.
At least one A424 has reached Hyperpole at every round so far. At Spa-Francorchamps, the two Alpines set the first and third fastest times in qualifying before lining up together on the second row of the grid. At Le Mans, the #35 topped both qualifying and Hyperpole 1 before securing third place on the starting grid.
Combined with the pace shown during the races, these performances underline the progress made with the A424 and the competitiveness of Alpine's technical and sporting package.
The message heading to Texas is therefore simple: the performance is there. The next step is to capitalise on it.
Few circuits offer the variety of the Circuit of the Americas. Its dramatic climb into Turn 1 leads into a first sector made up of fast, flowing corners where aerodynamic downforce is essential. The lap then opens into two long straights, shifting the emphasis towards top speed and braking efficiency, before slower and more technical sections demand a well-balanced car. Across its 5.513 kilometres and 20 turns, the challenge is as much about finding the right compromise as outright performance.
On paper, that combination should play to the strengths of the Alpine A424. The Texan circuit has already provided a strong reference point for the French Hypercar. On its first appearance in Austin in 2024, the #35 A424 finished fifth to secure the model's first FIA WEC top-five result, while the #36 crossed the line ninth, placing both cars in the points.
Frenchman Charles Milesi will once again team up with Austria's Ferdinand Habsburg and Portugal's António Félix da Costa in the #35 Alpine A424. The #36 will be entrusted to the all-French trio of Jules Gounon, Frédéric Makowiecki and Victor Martins.
The Lone Star Le Mans will start on Sunday 6 September at 1:00 pm local time (8:00 pm CEST). For live timing, results and coverage of the Lone Star Le Mans, visit www.fiawec.com.
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
“We have shown in recent rounds that we have a strong technical and sporting package and the performance to fight at the front. The priority now is to turn that potential into results, and with four races remaining, there are still plenty of opportunities to do so.
Austin is a circuit we know well and one whose characteristics have often suited us. The temperatures will make the weekend particularly demanding, so we will need to execute every detail correctly from the first practice session. Our objective is clear: to put both cars in the top five and achieve a result that reflects our true level of performance.”
Timetable (CEST)
Friday 4 September
18:30-20:00: Free Practice 1
23:00-00:30: Free Practice 2
Saturday 5 September
18:00-19:00: Free Practice 3
22:40-22:52: Hypercar Qualifying
23:00-23:10: Hypercar Hyperpole
Sunday 6 September
20:00-02:00: Lone Star Le Mans
