Alpine have had a mixed season in the World Endurance Championship but are starting to make steps forward.
The French manufacturer have been battling around the top 10 and consistently scoring points but haven’t been sharp enough to race at the very front.
Alpine finished with both cars outside the points in the second round of the championship at the 6 Hours of Imola in WEC.
They also retired with both cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, compounding a difficult start to the season in the World Endurance Championship.
Alpine were much-improved at the Fuji Speedway as the No. 36 car drove to third place, taking their first podium of the season.
Graham Goodwin and Stephen Kilbey praised the WEC outfit on The Week in Sports Cars podcast ahead of the final round of the season in Bahrain.
Alpine are becoming a ‘contender’ in the World Endurance Championship
Alpine have improved over the season in the World Endurance Championship with their new A424 car and are getting closer to the front.
German driver Mick Schumacher was integral to the No. 36 car, scoring third place, and has rebuilt his career after a forgettable two-year stint in Formula 1. He would like to return to F1 but Schumacher is positive he can stay in WEC.
READ MORE: Bruno Famin outlines Alpine’s WEC testing plans for 2025 amid Formula 1 engine uncertainty
The French manufacturer haven’t been the class of the field over the season as they are racing against teams such as Toyota and Ferrari, who have developed their cars for a much longer time.
Alpine have been praised for their upturn in form by Goodwin and Kilbey, who believe the team are pushing further towards the front.
Goodwin said: “That car is certainly in six hours, and we’ll see whether or not it’s the same as the case at Bahrain in eight hours, is looking like a contender.”
The 8 Hours of Bahrain remains an unknown for Alpine, but Kilbey has been pleased with their recovery from Le Mans.
He said: “The progress since Le Mans has been just an upward curve, isn’t it, for them. Every weekend, they look more and more competitive on Saturday and Sunday. Once again, the results came like they did at COTA.”
Alpine are battling BMW for fourth place in the Manufacturers’ Championship in the WEC
Alpine have had a mediocre season in the World Endurance Championship and after their podium in Fuji, the French team are fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
They are on 52 points and hold a slim three-point advantage over BMW in the standings after the German manufacturer took second place in Japan.
The final round of the season, the 8 Hours of Bahrain, is a relatively unknown quantity as it is the only race lasting eight hours of the season.
It will require a high level of tyre management, but overtaking is possible into Turn 1 and Turn 4 making top speed very important.