Alpine to leave WEC after 2026 season
- Owen Bradley
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Written by Owen Bradley
Alpine are set to leave the World Endurance Championship at the end of 2026, following several disappointing seasons.
The French manufacturer has now confirmed their departure from the WEC, with Chief executive officer Phillippe Krief stating: “On one side, the automotive industry - and particularly the EV market - are growing slower than expected. On the other side, to succeed for the long-term we must continue our ongoing investment into the Alpine product portfolio and Alpine brand. The result is we must take decisive actions to create a brand with a sustainable future.”
Alpine have managed to secure three race victories so far in the WEC, and even attracted ex-F1 driver, Mick Schumacher, who drove for Alpine throughout the 2024 and 2025 seasons respectively, before starting a new journey in IndyCar.
Krief continued, saying: “As one team, everyone at Alpine must focus all our efforts on these challenges. In regard to motorsport, while we regret not being able to continue in the WEC after this season, focusing on Formula 1 offers us a unique platform from which we can grow brand awareness in line with our ambitions for product and market growth.”
Whilst Alpine will continue to compete in Formula One, they have now become a Mercedes-customer team, using the Mercedes power unit, rather than building their own engine like they have in previous seasons in F1.
This announcement, alongside Alpine's F1 team becoming a Mercedes-customer team, points to the French manufacturer's reduced and limited involvement in motorsport going forward.
Joining the Hypercar class in 2024, Alpine have secured just three podiums and a single race victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji in 2025. They also lost Schumacher at the end of 2025, subsequently losing one of their star drivers who was often the fastest behind the wheel of the A424 Hypercar.
Despite Alpine leaving the WEC at the end of 2026, the championship will gain new Hypercar manufacturers in both 2026 and 2027, with Genesis coming into the series this year, and both Ford and McLaren stepping into the sport in 2027.
