2025 FIA WEC: Alpine Triumphs in 100th Race at Fuji
Fuji, Japan – The 6 Hours of Fuji marked the 100th race in the history of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), delivering thrilling action and pivotal outcomes as Alpine claimed victory in a dramatic race on Sunday.
Key Results
The #35 Alpine A424, driven by Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Charles Milesi, secured the team’s first win since the 6 Hours of Monza in 2022. This victory is notable as it represents the first global win for the A424 prototype and the third consecutive triumph for an LMDh car following victories by Cadillac and Porsche.
The race saw Alpine navigate a turbulent strategy, recovering from early setbacks including a collision with the #8 Toyota that resulted in a stop-go penalty. Critical pit strategy and tire management decisions late in the race allowed for a dramatic turnaround. “We knew it was going to be difficult to overtake on track, so we decided to do it differently than the others (on tyre strategy),” said team sporting director Nicolas Lapierre.
Alpine’s success this weekend has broad implications on both championship battles within the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes, intensifying the competition leading into the season finale in Bahrain.
Driver Standings Impact
The title race in the Hypercar Drivers’ Championship remains tight, with Le Mans champions Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, and Phil Hanson managing to gain points despite a challenging race that involved significant car damage. They are now within striking distance of the leading #51 Ferrari duo of Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, who experienced setbacks due to penalties for track limits.
Ferrari’s race strategist, Giuliano Salvi, expressed frustration over the penalties: “The track limits are something we need to revise internally,” he stated, emphasizing the need for clearer communication moving forward.
In the LMGT3 division, Vista AF Corse’s Simon Mann, Francois Heriau, and Alessio Rovera fought back to a second-place finish, closing the gap to leaders Ryan Hardwick, Richard Lietz, and Riccardo Pera. Hardwick lamented the impact of a late safety car, which erased a substantial lead, stating: “We controlled the race… but that final safety car just hurt us.”
Manufacturer Championship
Porsche, represented by Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre, demonstrated resilience with a third-place finish, putting them 21 points off Ferrari in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Both Porsche entries performed strongly, enhancing their position as they head into the Bahrain showdown.
Conclusion
As the WEC approaches its finale, the 100th race at Fuji exemplified the unpredictability of endurance racing, with Alpine’s triumph underscoring both their resurgence and the competitive landscape of the championship. Attention now turns to Bahrain, where both drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles will be on the line in a high-stakes finish to the season.
