A slow puncture might have dashed its bid for glory, but Alpine Endurance Team was anything but deflated after last weekend’s TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (8-10 May), hailing a breakthrough performance that fills the manufacturer with confidence ahead of next month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Alpine arrived in the Ardennes with its tail up off the back of a first podium finish of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign three weeks earlier at Imola. Maintaining that momentum, Mick Schumacher and Charles Milesi duly bagged the A424 Hypercar’s second successive double appearance in the Hyperpole top ten shootout in qualifying, going on to grab sixth and ninth positions on the grid respectively.
In front of a record 98,874-strong crowd on race day, Frédéric Makowiecki immediately signalled his intent behind the wheel of the #36 entry as he rose to fifth at the start. Taking no prisoners, the Frenchman – a new addition to the Alpine line-up this year following a decade in Porsche machinery – then opportunistically jumped countryman Loïc Duval (Peugeot) in traffic for fourth, before relieving AF Corse’s Philip Hanson of third at La Source heading onto lap nine.
Five laps later, ‘Mako’ swept boldly past James Calado (Ferrari AF Corse) to snatch second place through Raidillon, thereafter hunting down Nicklas Nielsen in the leading Ferrari and keeping the pressure on after the Dane handed over to Miguel Molina.
The Arras native climbed out of the cockpit himself at the end of a marathon two-and-a-half hour stint, with Jules Gounon subsequently taking full advantage of warmer tyres to displace Molina from the lead on the run to Eau Rouge, continuing to hold sway until he passed the baton to Schumacher for the race’s final couple of hours.
A fresh tyre strategy – whereas the #50 and #51 Ferraris elected not to change rubber – dropped the German to third, after which, he engaged in a spectacular three-way scrap with eventual winner Alessandro Pier Guidi and BMW’s Robin Frijns, but a slow puncture unfortunately prompted an earlier-than-planned pit-stop and effectively scuppered Alpine’s shot at victory.
Despite posting the A424’s fastest laps in the closing stages, Schumacher was ultimately restricted to third, less than a second behind the runner-up #50 Ferrari at the chequered flag.
“It was a good race overall,” he summarised. “We were fighting for the win until the slow puncture compromised our chances; we had to settle for the podium, but we can be happy with that. The trend is really moving forwards and upwards, and the team is getting better and better every weekend.
“Fred [Makowiecki] did an amazing stint to start the race, Jules [Gounon] took over and got into the lead and it was a proper battle until the finish. We’re on the right track and there is a lot to take away from the weekend. Now, we’re excited to see what the next race will bring and it’s obviously the big one. We are very much looking forward to it.”
“I’m extremely proud of the team,” echoed Makowiecki. “We secured a second consecutive podium finish with a strong performance from start-to-finish – and it was a more accomplished performance than at Imola.
“The slow puncture was unfortunate as we were right in the mix, but that’s racing. More than the result, I’m pleased with how we are working and continuing to improve. I’m also feeling more and more confident with the car. There’s always a learning curve, but the more races we do, the more comfortable I feel and the more I can harness its potential.”
The #36 crew has now climbed to fifth in the Drivers’ standings, while the sister #35 A424 – piloted by Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin – scored its first points of the season at Spa. The crew’s challenge was hampered by a penalty for a virtual safety car infringement, and a late strategic gamble narrowly failed to pay off, as Chatin had to pit from fourth place on the very last lap for a short splash ‘n’ dash, relegating the Frenchman to eighth.
The joint result nevertheless enabled Alpine to strengthen its grip on fourth spot in the Manufacturers’ classification ahead of its home round – the 24 Hours of Le Mans – on 14-15 June. Last year, Les Bleus endured a nightmare at La Sarthe as both cars retired due to engine failure before the six-hour mark. Hopes are high for a significantly more successful event 12 months on.
“It was hugely satisfying to secure our second consecutive podium finish,” acknowledged Team Principal, Philippe Sinault. “This result sends out a signal from the entire team, as we were in contention for the win for the first time [with the A424]. We performed well at Imola and Spa, which are two very different circuits – that shows we are starting to understand our package and how to get the most out of it on demanding tracks.
“However, we know there is still much room for improvement and small details to refine. We had a strong race, but it wasn’t perfect, and we saw again that the slightest mistake can compromise everything. The goal is to build upon what we’ve learnt and consolidate our foundations to be better-prepared for Le Mans than we were a year ago.”
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