Alpine confirms WEC driver line-up
Alpine Endurance Team has formally announced the full roster of drivers that will contest the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship aboard its pair of Hypercar class A424s.
The No. 35 A424 will feature Paul-Loup Chatin, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg, who all return after competing with the team in 2024. The sister No. 36 car will be shared by returnee Mick Schumacher, Jules Gounon — who has been promoted after a successful reserve role — and Frédéric Makowiecki, who moves to Alpine after spending the past two seasons with Porsche Penske Motorsport.
Team boss Philippe Sinault has high expectations for both Gounon and Makoweicki in their first season as full-time Alpine factory Hypercar drivers.
'Jules has continued his integration through his role as a reverse driver and has met our expectations,' he said. 'Last year, Jules was almost a regular starter, as he contested half the season.
'The potential was there, and we knew that his GT experience would bring a lot to our Hypercar project from a technical point of view. That was the case, so we were keen to promote him to the race team to build on what we set out to do a year ago.
'And the arrival of Frédéric Makowiecki is a real plus. His presence will give us the benefit of his vast experience, as well as his racing and technical credentials. He is known for his pertinence, analysis insight, situational intelligence, and technical understanding of the car.
'His mindset and character mirror our project. His personality makes you want to work with him. He likes to share and exchange ideas while remaining extremely demanding. His contribution will help us improve, and we are sure he will fit in well with our team and help us achieve our common goal.'
The pair of new full-timers replace Nicolas Lapierre — who has stepped back from driving to take on the role of sporting director — and Matthieu Vaxiviere, who has been assigned the role of reserve driver for 2025.
Story originally appeared on Racer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Ferrari Runs 1-2-3 in 24 Hours of Le Mans at Six-Hour Mark
As the sun sets around the circuit and the 24 Hours of Le Mans enters its short night, Ferrari has put themselves in the optimal position to complete their three-peat, with all three entries running 1-2-3 in the Hypercar category. They leading hypercars completed 97 laps in the opening six hours. If Ferrari wins three in a row, it will be the first time since the Italian company has won three or more in a row since it was bested by Ford in 1966, ending a six-year streak of wins for the prancing horse. The No. 6 Porsche Penske runs fourth after becoming the lead Porsche after its sister car, the No. 5, lost momentum after losing the lead to the Ferrari in the third hour. Antonio Fuoco took the lead in the No. 50 Ferrari 499P for the first time two hours and 35 minutes into the race by passing Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 5 Porsche Penske through Indianapolis corner. From here, Fuoco's fellow Ferrari drivers would join him up front en route to a Ferrari 1-2-3 at the six-hour mark. After Mathieu lost second place, Porsche made the team decision to switch the No. 5 and No. 6, sending Laurens Vanthoor after the leading Ferraris. Toyota Gazoo Racing No. 8 runs fifth ahead of the No. 6 Porsche Penske. After starting on the pole, the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota No. 12 finds itself in eighth place. The Peugeot No. 94 and BMW M Team WRT No. 10 round out the top ten. At the six-hour mark, the leaders are starting to shuffle through the pits again with their energy reversed at a minimal and driver changes are needed. The factory Ferraris pitted first, with the No. 83 AF Corse following a few laps later. You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
McLaren Reveals Its 2027 Le Mans Challenger
McLaren revealed a first look at its 2027 Le Mans Hypercar competitor on Saturday, the biggest step yet in the brand's return to racing for the overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The unveiling comes just one day after the company announced engine, team partner, and leadership details for the upcoming program. This story will be Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
Aston Martin Returns to Le Mans With a Car That Is Turning Heads
In returning Aston Martin to the top class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time since 2012, Ian James, the team principal, said it invoked mixed feelings. 'It's a little bit of trepidation, a little bit of angst, an immense amount of pride and being proud,' he said in an interview in May. James runs the Heart of Racing team, or THOR, which will have two Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMHs in the Hypercar class at Le Mans. Aston Martin has won the GT class five times since 2014 with its Vantage. It has not taken the overall victory since Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori did it in the DBR1 in 1959. James views this year as a developmental season. 'My goals this year are just to have continual improvement,' he said. 'As long as we continue to do that, and we've seen it in America in I.M.S.A. and W.E.C., we are inching closer and closer,' he said, referring to the International Motor Sports Association and the F.I.A. World Endurance Championship. 'I would say performance so far has exceeded my expectations,' he said. 'As long as we keep going in the same direction, then I'll be very happy at the end of the year as we move past the back of the grid, to tickling the middle of it, and I think that will happen.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
