Opinion: Alpine's WEC Exit a Reminder of How Things Can Change
The third Hypercar manufacturer to depart the FIA World Endurance Championship shouldn't necessarily raise alarm bells, writes Gary Watkins...
Another manufacturer is quitting the FIA World Endurance Championship. Alpine’s departure at the end of the 2026 season will make it the third major carmaker to step away from the Hypercar ranks. Given that we are only entering the fourth season of our so-called ‘golden age’ that may sound worrying. The question is whether there is a trend, some kind of connection between the pull-outs of Lamborghini, Porsche and now Alpine.
Viewing the situation under a microscope would suggest there isn’t. Renault-owned Alpine, like Lamborghini and Porsche before it, had its own reasons for opting to stop at the end of the season that kicks off in Qatar next month.
A brand that will sell only electric vehicles from later this year cited slower than expected growth in the EV market as the reason for the realignment of its motorsport strategies and the decision to park its A424 LMDh-based prototypes.
The roadmap a manufacturer lays out for its future inevitably has to be adjusted or re-routed over time, and sometimes as a result of a change in company leadership. It may or may not be coincidence that a new boss at Renault arrived last summer. The incoming Francois Provost is said to be no fan of motorsport.
There’s a story about the new boss of one carmaker involved in Formula E taking up his role and looking at an FE racer and deciding forthwith that its involvement in the series had to end. His reasoning was that the car didn’t resemble anything the company sold for the road, exuded none of its brand values. The tale may or may not be true, so it would be unfair to name the company. I’m just saying that sometimes things can change almost on a whim.