Alpine Endurance Team is about to write a new chapter in its FIA World Endurance Championship journey. After organisers postponed the opening round, originally set for Qatar, the 2026 season began on Tuesday with the Prologue at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
This campaign is especially significant for Alpine as it marks the third and final season of the A424 in the FIA WEC's top category. After two years of learning and hard work, Alpine Endurance Team now aims to keep building momentum after last year's maiden victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji.
Over the winter, the team intensified its testing programme to prepare for its future challenges. The A424 took to the track at Portimão, MotorLand Aragón, and more recently Spa-Francorchamps to explore several areas of development. These tests enabled the team to validate several upgrades, deepen their understanding of the A424 in different conditions, and identify areas for further improvement.
Like their rivals, Les Bleus are now in Imola as the FIA World Endurance Championship returned to Europe for the first time since last June's 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Italian race is the opening of the FIA WEC's European tour, which continues next month at Spa-Francorchamps before the epic week of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Opened in 1953, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is one of the most demanding and popular circuits on the calendar. This 4,909-metre atypical track is notable for its anti-clockwise layout, challenging braking points that test drivers' mettle, aggressive kerbs, and particularly complex traffic management. The sometimes-unpredictable weather conditions in early spring can also play a significant role on a track where mistakes are rarely forgiven.
Alpine already has an impressive track record in Emilia-Romagna, including last year when the French team delivered a superb performance to secure third place in the Hypercar category thanks to an inspired strategy for the #36 A424.
On Tuesday, Alpine Endurance Team has completed the FIA World Endurance Championship Prologue, the final step in its preparations for the 2026 season opener.
The team used the two sessions and eight hours of track time to cover 377 laps, or 1850.693 km, to work on its operational execution in different conditions. To make the most of it, Alpine Endurance Team relied on the experience of Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi in the #35, as well as Frédéric Makowiecki and Jules Gounon in the sister #36 car. The line-ups were completed by António Félix da Costa and Victor Martins, who continued their integration after joining over the winter.
While encouraged by the steps made since its debut season, Alpine remains fully aware of the level of competition and the areas still requiring attention. With the data collected now under analysis, Alpine Endurance Team turns its focus to the 6 Hours of Imola, race with consistency and discipline. The team will return to the track on Friday for two 90-minute free practice sessions. On Saturday, a final session will precede qualifying and the Hyperpole ahead of the 1 pm start of the 6 Hours of Imola on Sunday.
Crew #35
António Félix da Costa
“We've made solid progress over our recent tests, and the Prologue allowed us to fine-tune several areas while building strong cohesion within the crew. It was also my first time at Imola, which is quite remarkable after more than 20 years of racing. It's an incredible track with a lot of history, and I really enjoyed discovering it while making steady progress as I continue to discover the Alpine A424. Today was another important step forward in my preparation. We'll now analyse everything we learned and tested to be as ready as possible. After this first race, we'll have a clearer picture of where we stand and be able to define our objectives for the rest of the season.”
Charles Milesi
“We're really looking forward to the first race of the season. It was important to complete a clean programme and get back into a competitive environment during the Prologue. Despite challenging conditions at times, we were able to work on several areas, including running on both wet and slick tyres, while continuing to build our pace. We also focused on improving our understanding of key areas, particularly qualifying performance, which was not our strongest point last year. The overall feeling is positive, and we now have a lot of data to analyse as we continue to make progress. I think we have what it takes to deliver a strong start to the season so we can't wait to see how it all comes together this weekend.”
Ferdinand Habsburg
“Imola is one of my favourite tracks in the world, so starting the season here is a real pleasure. The Prologue gave us some first references, including against the competition, and we approached it in a methodical way to gather valuable data. It was a mixed day, with both positives and areas to improve. Those are actually the most encouraging, as they clearly highlight where we can take another step forward. The focus now is on working through those areas to maximise our package, further close the gap and hopefully start the season on a strong note.”
Crew #36
Frédéric Makowiecki
“After a long winter, it's great to be so close to the first race. The team has worked incredibly hard over the past few months, and the Prologue allowed us to build solid foundations in many key areas. Conditions were quite tricky at times, which meant we couldn't fully explore everything we had planned, but we still managed to find some important answers on a number of topics. We now hope to turn that work into a strong result in Imola, a demanding circuit where execution will be key.”
Jules Gounon
“It was a productive afternoon, with a full programme including qualifying simulations, long runs and wet running. We were able to cover a wide range of conditions, and I felt very comfortable in the car. This season also sees Victor join the line-up. We've already spent time training and working together and the chemistry is strong. We're now looking forward to putting that into practice on track and hopefully we're going to have a good season.”
Victor Martins
“I'm very happy to be back racing after several months of preparation. The Prologue was a great opportunity to continue learning the car while working with the team in a competitive environment. I was able to run in a variety of conditions, wet, drying and fully dry, and test the different tyre compounds. It was a very valuable day in terms of understanding endurance, including traffic management. I'm getting more comfortable with every session, with the systems, the engineers and my teammates. As a rookie in endurance racing, I'm trying to learn as much as possible to keep improving. There is still work to do, and we'll analyse everything ahead of the weekend to come back stronger.”
Management
Axel Plasse, VP Alpine Tech
“I'm really excited to support the team and be alongside them in Imola. The Prologue was an important milestone after a particularly intense winter: we validated the progress made during the off-season, gathered essential data and identified new areas for performance. Beyond the numbers, it's the strength of the collective that makes the difference. The commitment, cohesion and mindset across the entire team are real assets for what lies ahead. We approach the start of the season with both humbleness and determination. Our guiding principle is clear: stay united, keep learning and execute with the highest level of discipline to deliver the best possible performance together.”
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
“We've been really looking forward to getting this season underway. We've missed being on track, and the postponement of Qatar only increased our eagerness to go racing again and see where we truly stand against the competition. The winter testing programme, along with the two days in Spa-Francorchamps, has been encouraging. The new package developed during the off-season seems to confirm that we are continuing to move forward. Imola is an atypical, narrow and sinuous track, one where finding the right compromise is crucial so we have an agile car that performs well over the kerbs and has good traction control. The Prologue was crucial to focus on these aspects and we worked in depth on these areas to optimise the balance. The mixed conditions, both dry and wet, also allowed us to gather valuable data and we're pleased with the work completed. Feedback from both drivers and engineers is positive, and we believe we made the most of the available track time and established solid foundations. Last year, we finished on the podium at Imola thanks to an excellent strategy. Naturally, we want to do just as well, but it is a huge challenge in this even more competitive and extremely high-calibre field. It's up to us to do everything we can to get a good result. The Prologue was an important first step, but our focus now shifts fully to the race.”
Nicolas Lapierre, Alpine Endurance Team sporting director
“We are very happy to be back in Imola to kick off the season. The delayed start gave us more time to refine our preparation, particularly with a productive test in Spa. The Prologue was a key step, even though changing weather conditions made it challenging. We still managed to complete our run plan by exploring a wide range of scenarios with all our drivers. We were able to further develop our understanding of the car and the new Michelin compounds, while showing a good level of performance, including in wet conditions, which was an important area for us compared to last year. Overall, it was a productive Prologue. The mood within the team is positive, the drivers are focused and fully committed, and we're now looking forward to seeing how the race unfolds. Everyone is ready and determined to deliver the best possible result.”
In Numbers
Prologue
1. Ferrari AF Corse #50 1m31.177s
5. Alpine Endurance Team #36 1m31.872s
6. Alpine Endurance Team #35 1m31.876s
Alpine Endurance Team #35
Morning session: 7th in 1m32.984s (87 laps)
Afternoon session: 6th in 1m31.876 (99 laps)
Laps: 186 (António Félix da Costa : 80; Charles Milesi: 54; Ferdinand Habsburg: 52)
Alpine Endurance Team #36
Morning session: 8th in 1m33.011s (86 laps)
Afternoon session: 5th in 1m31.872 (105 laps)
Laps: 191 (Frédéric Makowiecki: 61; Jules Gounon: 57; Victor Martins: 73)
Imola – Timetable (CEST)
Friday 17 April
10:15-11:45: Free Practice 1
15:15-16:45: Free Practice 2
Saturday 18 April
10:30-11:30: Free Practice 3
15:10-15:22 pm: Hypercar Qualifying
15:30-15:40 pm: Hypercar Hyperpole
Sunday 19 April
13:00-19:00: 6 Hours of Imola
