Alpine claimed its first FIA WEC win at the 6 Hours of Fuji, with Habsburg, Chatin and Milesi guiding the A424 to a landmark Hypercar victory.
Milesi took the car to the checkered flag over the No. 93 Peugeot Vergne, Jensen and di Resta, capping off a tense and tactical race that swung dramatically across six hours.
Cadillac Dominates Early Before Marciello Crash Turns Race
The contest began under Cadillac control. With the polesitting #12 pulling clear after the American marque locked out the front row in qualifying. But the race complexion changed in the second hour, when Raffaele Marciello lost his No. 15 BMW in a high-speed off between Turns 8 and 9. The Swiss driver got stucked the barriers heavily after appearing to be caught out Proton Porsche ahead.
The Virtual SC deployed during mid-race pit stops shuffled the order, promoting No. 99 Porsche into the lead. Vergne quickly wrestled control back with an uncompromising move at Turn 10, setting up a three-way fight as the race entered its second half.
Strategy and Safety Cars Shape the Battle
Both the No. 93 Peugeot and Alpine’s No. 35 car gained crucial track position by pitting just before a Full Course Yellow was called, when Tom Gamble’s Aston Martin Valkyrie tangled with the Heart of Racing Vantage.
That set up a showdown between Peugeot, Alpine and Porsche Penske, the latter charging into contention with Kevin Estre at the wheel. But Porsche’s challenge faltered with a five-second penalty for a pit stop infringement.
Alpine then played its hand: a two-tire final stop vaulted Milesi ahead of Jensen’s Peugeot, and the Frenchman seized control in the final hour. As Vanthoor’s Porsche closed on Jensen for second, Milesi pulled away to secure a famous win. Alpine’s first overall WEC victory since Monza 2022, and the first for the ORECA-chassised A424.
The polesitting No. 12 Cadillac, finished 7th only.
Ferrari Falters, Title Race Tightens
Estre and Vanthoor brought Porsche home third, a result that significantly tightened the Hypercar drivers’ championship. With the No. 51 Ferrari enduring a torrid race including two separate track limits penalties. The gap to Porsche shrinks to just 21 points heading into the Bahrain finale.
LMGT3: Corvette Inherits Victory in Final-Lap Drama
The LMGT3 category produced late drama as TF Sport’s No. 81 Chevrolet Corvette claimed victory after a dramatic twist on the final lap.
AF Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari a late-race pit stop infringement handed it a five-second penalty. Rovera initially looked to have enough margin, but the Ferrari slowed dramatically in the final minutes, crossing the line just two seconds ahead of Eastwood — not enough to hold the win once the penalty was applied.
Farfus and his WRT teammates Shahin and Boguslavskiy salvaged third in the No. 31 BMW.