Alpine have developed over the season in the World Endurance Championship and improved their reliability since the season opener in Qatar.
The French manufacturer struggled in the opening four rounds, failing to score points as they learned how to maximise the Alpine A424’s performance.
They suffered a double retirement at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as their tough start to the season continued in the Hypercar class.
After the difficulties in France, Alpine began to gather some form in the second half of the season, with the No. 36 car scoring the car’s first points at the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.
The 6 Hours of Fuji saw the same car take third place in Japan, which was a significant moment in the French team’s season.
Mick Schumacher was critical to the team’s success with his decisiveness in wheel-to-wheel combat and good pace in his stint.
Alpine’s line-up for 2025 is uncertain, as Schumacher still wants to return to Formula 1, although that is unlikely for next year.
Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault told sportscar365 that one driver will not compete for the team next year despite an impressive career record.
Victor Martins has been ruled out by Alpine for a seat in WEC next year
Victor Martins has been very successful throughout his career on the junior single-seater ladder, winning titles in Formula Renault and FIA F3.
The Frenchman won the Formula 3 championship in 2022 after a tense finale at Monza, usurping his compatriot Isack Hadjar.
Since winning the title, his two-year stint in Formula 2 has been underwhelming. He has lacked the speed over a season to challenge for the championship.
Martins has improved throughout 2024, winning the Sprint Race in Spain before taking a multitude of podium finishes.
His hopes of reaching Formula 1 are now slim as Jack Doohan was chosen to replace the outgoing Esteban Ocon at Alpine.
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Sinault explained that despite Martins being an Alpine driver and driving in the rookie test in Bahrain, he won’t race for them in WEC next year.
He said: “We have not had a lot of contact with him, but he is part of the Alpine family, so it makes sense and it’s logical to test him. We will also get another perspective about the level of the car, which will be very interesting.”
Alpine are battling BMW for fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship in WEC
Alpine have lacked the pace to challenge for race wins despite their improvement over the year with performance and reliability.
The French manufacturer’s main target heading into the 8 Hours of Bahrain may be to stay ahead of BMW, and they are three points in front.
BMW have had issues with the brakes, which affected Raffaele Marciello as he adjusted from GT and LMP2 cars.
It would be a boost for Alpine to stay ahead of BMW, who are much more experienced with their car, having run it in IMSA in North America.