Alpine explains decision to drop Antonio Felix da Costa, Fred Makowiecki from Fuji WEC line-up

Alpine Motorsport has decided to bench Antonio Felix da Costa and Fred Makowiecki from the Fuji 6 Hours of Fuji World Endurance Championship (WEC) event. The French manufacturer has been considering running two-driver crews in six-hour races for a while now, as they restructured their line-up for the 2026 WEC season. This move was surprising to many, as it is not common for manufacturers to opt for such line-ups in Hypercars.

Alpine's team principal, Philippe Sinault, revealed that the decision was not made on a whim and that he had been contemplating running two drivers per car to gain greater strategic flexibility. The team decided to test this new line-up at Fuji after the WEC revised its 2026 calendar, eliminating longer races in Qatar and Bahrain that would have required three drivers.

Sinault explained that they decided to implement the two-driver format at Fuji right after the Lone Star Le Mans at Austin due to concerns about physical fatigue for the drivers. The announcement was made to the engineers, mechanics, and drivers following the race at the Lone Star Le Mans. Da Costa and Makowiecki expressed disappointment upon hearing the news, but Sinault emphasized that the decision was difficult due to both personal and human aspects.

The team has left the door open for the two drivers to return in Barcelona and Monza, but has not yet decided on the final driver line-up for those races.