Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault indicated that a definitive driver lineup for the last two rounds of the FIA World Endurance Championship remains undecided, following the team’s shift to two drivers per car for this weekend’s 6 Hours of Fuji.
Earlier this week it emerged that Antonio Felix da Costa and Frederic Makowiecki would not operate the Alpine A424s in Japan, with Sinault outlining the choice stems from the belief that a two-driver format is optimal for six-hour events.
But he added that selecting four drivers for Japan was “really challenging.”
“We deliberated with my technical team for an extended period, including Nicolas Lapierre (the sporting director), because, in our view, a two-driver format is the most suitable for a six-hour race,” Sinault told Sportscar365.
“We hadn’t contemplated this previously since we were focused on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, plus Qatar 10 Hours and Bahrain 8 Hours, so we didn’t want to keep switching between two- and three-driver per car configurations.”
“However, with the new calendar outlining only six-hour races to finish the season, it seemed the right moment to test and implement what we consider the best format to perform and secure strong results.”
Sinault also denied that it had been a late decision to run with just two drivers per car in Fuji.
“If we were to make a decision of this kind, it cannot be done at the last moment, since you must prepare everything: the team, the processes, and the race plan,” he added.
“We were well prepared for the race — we announced the driver, the team, and the mechanics at an appropriate moment to ensure this option could be executed smoothly.”
Sinault stressed that da Costa and Makowiecki remain Alpine drivers and are “still with the team,” even though they did not race at Fuji, and he indicated further adjustments to the lineup could come later.
“We’ll assess post-Fuji and revisit the lineup — whether we keep two drivers or revert to three, and then decide which drivers will race at Barcelona and Monza,” he said. “Nothing is decided at this stage.”
Asked about the selection of da Costa and Makowiecki, Sinault replied that the choice was not personal but based on broader considerations, with many factors weighed; Barcelona could see a different combination.
Sinault Maintains Silence as Geely Talks Continue
Sinault also said there had been no update on the future of the team amid speculation that Geely could take over the Signatech-run Alpine operation for next year.
Alpine announced on the eve of this season that it would be withdrawing from the WEC at the end of the campaign.
Since then Sinault has held talks with various parties about taking over the project but, despite earlier in the year saying he wanted the team’s future to be resolved by the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the situation currently remains uncertain.
Sinault simply said “discussions are going on” and that there is “nothing clear” at the moment about the 2027 season.
When asked about the timeframe in which a decision needs to be made, he replied: “The ultimate date for registration is Nov. 26. My job is to be ready as soon as possible.
“We expect good news and an announcement as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, Alpine is preparing for this weekend’s Fuji contest, the scene of its sole Hypercar victory to date last year, and began the event by setting the pace in Free Practice 2 on Friday.
Jamie Klein contributed to this article.
