Alpine Endurance Team might have come away disappointed – and almost empty-handed – from a podium-challenging performance in the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo earlier this month, but António Félix da Costa insists there were ‘plenty of positives to take from the weekend’.
The French manufacturer was in the mix from the outset in South America, with FIA World Endurance Championship rookie Victor Martins underscoring the potential of the A424 during final free practice around the iconic Autódromo José Carlos Pace, as he confidently topped the timesheets in the high-calibre, 17-strong Hypercar field.
Selected to qualify for the first time, the Frenchman went on to secure an excellent third on the grid, with compatriot and team-mate Charles Milesi right behind in fifth and both within a tiny 0.127 seconds of pole position, marking the first time either of the striking blue prototypes had advanced to Hyperpole in Brazil.
Frédéric Makowiecki took to the wheel of the #36 Alpine for the start the next day, but greater-than-expected tyre wear necessitated an early second pit-stop – a delay that was compounded by a five-second penalty for a procedural infringement followed by a front-left puncture.
After Martins climbed into the cockpit for the middle phase of the race, Jules Gounon took over for the last two hours, but an economy drive towards the end to avoid having to make a late splash-and-dash refuelling visit restricted the crew to 11th place, just outside of the points.
In the sister Alpine, Ferdinand Habsburg conceded six positions on the opening tour, with Les Bleus duly deciding to adapt the #35’s strategy. That elevated the Austrian into the lead, before da Costa maintained the momentum as the Portuguese star engaged in an entertaining duel with eventual race-winner, Raffaele Marciello.
Milesi subsequently kept the car in the mix for a rostrum result, and the Alpine-BMW battle was rejoined with 45 minutes remaining, when the Frenchman artfully overhauled Dries Vanthoor while the pair navigated LMGT3 traffic.
Shortly afterwards, however, a puncture prompted a premature final pit-stop, costing the #35 A424 ground and relegating Milesi, da Costa and Habsburg down the order to tenth, one spot ahead of their stablemates.
“The positive takeaway was that we had the pace to compete at the front throughout the race,” reflected Habsburg. “Our performance over the stints was actually a pleasant surprise compared to last year, and it was great to see the progress we’ve made.
“I was disappointed with my start, as I made a few too many mistakes, but once I got into clean air, I was able to extract the most from the car. It’s a shame our hopes were ended by the puncture, as we would have liked to see our strategy play out until the chequered flag.”
“It was disappointing given our potential, as we had the pace to fight for a podium finish,” agreed da Costa. “After a difficult start, we decided to take a different strategic approach, and it was a gamble that could have paid off.
“We just needed a little bit of luck to see it through, but the puncture ultimately ended our chances. Nevertheless, there were plenty of positives to take from the weekend. Our ability to react as a team and make strategic decisions was encouraging, and we will take those learnings forward.”
“It was a difficult race,” echoed Milesi, “and luck wasn’t on our side at the end. We also experienced some issues with the brakes. At certain points, we showed the potential to fight for a strong result, but we were still lacking the consistency required to challenge regularly at the front. We’ll keep working hard and see what the rest of the season brings.”
The campaign will resume at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas in Texas on 4-6 September, following FIA WEC’s annual summer break. While understandably frustrated by the outcome at Interlagos, Alpine’s team management was quick to highlight the progress made, which the squad will seek to carry forward into the remaining four rounds.
“We failed to fulfil our potential [in Brazil], even though the pace shown by the A424 was strong enough to aim for a much better ending,” mused Sporting Director, Nicolas Lapierre. “The punctures also didn’t help our strategy and prevented us from fighting to the very end.
“Still, we need to take away the positives – particularly the car’s performance on a track where we struggled last year – and keep moving forward so we can bounce back in Austin.”
“It wasn’t an easy day, even though we showed strong pace right from the start,” added Team Principal, Philippe Sinault. “The #36 car suffered from tyre degradation as soon as the second stint, so we decided to adjust our strategy by bringing it in early to recover performance. That paid off with some very competitive lap times, but unfortunately, Victor’s puncture ended our hopes of a good result.
“As for car #35, the start of the race was more difficult, particularly due to traffic. We took a strategic risk that allowed us to get back into the fight at the front, but a puncture in the final hour scuppered the crew’s ambitions.
“It was disappointing to leave Brazil with that result, as the A424’s potential was clearly there and the final positions didn’t reflect our true level. We need to analyse all the factors so we can continue to improve in every area. We’ve shown we’re in the mix, and we’ll keep working hard to come back stronger in Austin.”
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