WEC: Alpine Claims Milestone 100th World Endurance Victory at 6 Hours Fuji, Ends 3-Year Hypercar Drought
Fuji Speedway, Japan – September 28, 2025 – Alpine Endurance Team celebrated its first FIA World Endurance Championship win in over three years by taking victory in the milestone 100th race of the series, the 6 Hours of Fuji. The #35 A424 LMDh, driven by Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, and Paul-Loup Chatin, started ninth on the 18-car Hypercar grid but capitalized on strategic pit stops and a timely safety car to finish 7.682 seconds ahead of Peugeot's #93 9X8.
Key Race Details
- Starting Position and Challenges: The Alpine began from ninth and faced early penalties for contact and a pit-stop infringement, dropping further back initially.
- Turning Point: A safety car in the second half, caused by an Aston Martin LMGT3 incident, allowed Milesi to climb to second behind Peugeot's Mikkel Jensen.
- Decisive Strategy: With one hour remaining, Alpine opted for left-hand-side tyres only during the final stops, undercutting Peugeot and Porsche's #6. Milesi held off Jensen to secure the win, marking the first time four different manufacturers—Ferrari, Cadillac, Porsche, and now Alpine—have won consecutive races in WEC history.
- Field Overview: Peugeot #93 earned its best Hypercar result in second, fending off Porsche's Laurens Vanthoor for third. Porsche #6 finished fourth. Ferrari's factory 499Ps scored no points, while Aston Martin's #009 Valkyrie took fifth despite penalties. Cadillac #12 ended sixth, and Toyota #7 seventh.
This triumph represents Alpine's third WEC victory overall and the #35 crew's first, achieved without a Platinum-graded driver in a field dominated by top-tier talent.
Driver and Team Reactions
- Ferdinand Habsburg (#35): "This means everything. Holding this trophy has been in my dreams for quite some time. It’s the coolest thing to win a race with two of your best friends in the paddock. Charles and Paul-Loup are not only some of the best drivers, but also the best people that I know."
- Charles Milesi (#35): Noted the team's resilience, adding, "We had to fight from the back, but the strategy was spot on."
- Philippe Sinault, Team Principal: Praised the lineup's chemistry, saying, "This unconventional trio proved doubters wrong—pure passion and precision."
Championship Implications
The result keeps the Hypercar title fight alive heading into the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain (November 6-8), with four driver crews still mathematically in contention. Ferrari's scoreless outing extends Porsche's Manufacturers' lead to 39 points, but Alpine's haul bolsters their position in the tight midfield battle.
