Alpine wins 100th WEC race at Fuji Speedway

WECHyperCar

Sep 29

Alpine won its first WEC race at the 6 Hours of Fuji with Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin in #35 Alpine.

Winning Alpine A424 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at Fuji Speedway. Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin in #35 Alpine.

Fifteen minutes into the race, Ferdinand Habsburg was involved in an incident with the #8 Toyota, forcing him to change the front end at the next pit stop and, more importantly, resulting in a five-second stop-and-go penalty that relegated him to 17th place. Paul-Loup Chatin took over shortly before a full course yellow, followed by a safety car period after the violent crash of the #15 BMW. #35 had refuelled just before the neutralisation, which allowed it to move into second place when the race restarted.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Fuji Speedway. Ferdinand Habsburg with #35 Alpine damaged front end.

Charles Milesi took over from Paul-Loup Chatin with just over two hours to go. A three-way battle then ensued with the #93 Peugeot and the #6 Porsche. Charles Milesi held on to second place until the final pit stop, where the team opted for a two-tyre strategy while the competition changed four. The time saved allowed the #35 car to take the lead, which it held until the finish thanks to Charles Milesi's perfect management of the situation.

Ferdinand Habsburg: "It's hard to find the words. This victory comes a year after losing a superb result in the final sprint. It shows how much we have learned and how we have bounced back together. To win with Charles and Paul-Loup, who are not only two great drivers but also two friends, is simply incredible. I owe them a great deal because they have always supported me, even during the most difficult times. I would also like to thank Philippe, Bruno, and Nicolas for their faith in us, as well as the entire Alpine team for making this possible. I had been envisioning our first victory for a long time, and achieving it today is a dream come true."

Paul-Loup Chatin: "It's a magnificent and well-deserved victory. It started badly with a collision, but we remained patient and seized the opportunities to get back into contention. The team made the right decisions, and each driver contributed to the overall effort. We've been working together for over two years, and today it all paid off. It is our first victory together, the first for the Alpine A424. Ten years after my first podium here with Alpine in LMP2, winning at Fuji with this team is incredible. Thank you to Philippe and the entire team for their confidence and their tireless work."

Charles Milesi: "It's hard to believe, almost surreal... After a difficult start to the race, two penalties and almost a lap down, no one could have imagined such an outcome. The team did an incredible job, the car was fast and consistent, and the strategy made all the difference. A safety car period brought us back into contention, and then the decision to change only two tyres enabled us to take the lead ahead of Peugeot and Porsche. The last few laps seemed endless, but the pace was there and we managed to hold on until the end. It's fantastic to achieve this today, alongside my teammates with whom I've been working since the development of the A424 in 2023. We were a little lucky at the right moment, but you also have to make your own luck. This first victory is particularly special." Source: Alpine Endurance Team

The PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 finished second

Paul Di Resta at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 gained one place to run third at the first corner.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Fuji Speedway. #009 Aston Martin Thor Team Valkyrie

Second at the restart following a long Safety Car period, Jean-Eric Vergne then moved into the lead on lap 98 of the 6 Hours of Fuji.
Jean-Eric Vergne stopped under race neutralization, allowing the #93 to retain the lead with Mikkel Jensen driving.

The Danish driver did a tremendous job to hold his position and fend off sometimes aggressive attacks from Estre then Vanthoor in Porsche #6. At the final pit stop, the team chose to fit four new tires on both PEUGEOT 9X8s. Mikkel Jensen rejoined in second place.

Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director, Peugeot Sport: “It was a rather eventful race with many on-track incidents, and FCYs and Safety Cars that influenced the final result. We partially benefitted with the #93; others gained more than we did. It all came down to tire strategy—who could keep their tires on track the longest. We managed to hold off Porsche, who were on the same strategy as us, but there was nothing we could do against Alpine. Still, it’s a very strong overall result, with a fine second place for the #93.”

Jean-Eric Vergne (PEUGEOT 9X8 #93): “I had a good stint. It took me a bit of time to overtake and move into P1, but then I managed to open a gap to hand the car to Mikkel with a small cushion, and we pitted at the right moment. It was a solid race. P2 is a great result for the team.” Source: Peugeot Sport

Porsche Penske Motorsport third and fourth

Porsche keeps WEC title bid alive with podium result in Fuji. Laurens Vanthoor and Kévin Estre charged from 17th on the grid to secure the final podium spot in the #6 Porsche 963. Julien Andlauer and Mathieu Jaminet followed closely in the sister car to take the flag in fourth place.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Fuji Speedway. Vanthoor takes over from Estre in smoking Porsche #6 with less than one hour to go.

Laurens Vanthoor launched an impressive charge, gaining ten positions. However, after a rival rear-ended the Belgian’s #6 Porsche 963, an unscheduled pit stop with a rear wing change relegated the car down the field again. A little over an hour later, Kévin Estre took over during a pit stop, only for an accident to trigger a yellow flag, which again offered the team no advantage. With two hours remaining, luck finally turned in the crew’s favour when a full-course yellow ended. Now in seventh, Estre executed a blistering restart, climbing to second place in a matter of laps. A five-second penalty for an incorrect pit stop relegated the Porsche back to third as Vanthoor took over for the final stint. The Belgian’s late attack on the #93 Peugeot added further tension, but ultimately went unrewarded as the Peugeot seemed faster on the long straight.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Fuji Speedway. Peugeot #93 ends ahead of Porsche #6

Kévin Estre (Porsche 963 #6): “We started very far back, so third place is a good result – I’m proud of what we achieved. Perhaps a little more was possible, but Peugeot and Alpine were simply too fast on the straights to pass. Today, we scored as many points as we could.”
Julien Andlauer (Porsche 963 #5): “We made the most of our opportunities. The team did a fantastic job, and Mathieu Jaminet was in the car for almost four hours. Unexpectedly, our Porsche understeered a bit at the start, which caused me to make mistakes and cost us a drive-through penalty. Still, we fought our way back to fourth. We lacked a bit of pace for a podium, but together with the sister car, we collected crucial points toward our main goal, the manufacturers’ championship. Now our focus is on the season finale in Bahrain.” Source: Porsche

Alpine wins 100th WEC race at Fuji Speedway

The PEUGEOT 9X8 #93 finished second

Porsche Penske Motorsport third and fourth

Cadillac locks front row for 6 hours of Fuji