Fred Makowiecki has been confirmed as joining a new look six driver FIA WEC squad for the Alpine Endurance team as Mathieu Vaxiviere leaves the team.
Ex Porsche factory man Makowiecki joins full season returnees Charles Milesi, Ferdi Habsburg. Paul Loup Chatin and Mick Schumacher with late season supersub Jules Gounon confirmed as a full-season driver too with Nico Lapierre confirmed earlier in the year as stepping back from driving duties to take up a new role as the team’s Sporting Director.
The final driver trios for the #35 and #36 Alpine A424s will be announced later.
Frédéric Makowiecki
“Mako” will join Alpine for the 2025 season. With a plethora of experience forged with prestigious teams, the Frenchman has excelled in GT, but also in Hypercar racing over the last two years. With four podium finishes last year Alpine hope will contribute his expertise, technical ability and race craft to the A-arrow brand team.
Frédéric Makowiecki: “I am extremely proud as a French driver. It’s something special to represent a French manufacturer in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the possibility of aiming for an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially as Alpine has a vibrant motorsport history. I truly liked the team’s approach and development. Alpine improved and excelled in its first season against very tough competition. I’m joining humbly, but I want to contribute to the team significantly. Doing everything better than everyone else will be crucial if we are to get over the final hurdles, and I’m already looking forward to Qatar!”
Charles Milesi
Alpine Endurance Team have re-signed Charles Milesi, who has confirmed his status as one of the most promising young drivers on the grid with three Hyperpole appearances, the team’s best qualifying result and the first fastest race lap in the history of the A424. The 23-year-old Frenchman was notably at the pointed end of the Alpine arrow in 2024.
Charles Milesi: “I’m thrilled to continue the adventure with Alpine. We all hope this new campaign will continue the positive things we saw in the second half of our 2024 season. The aim will be to improve everything we can on the car to extract even more performance from it in all areas and continue to work relentlessly on reliability to be at the front of the field more consistently.”
Mick Schumacher
As an endurance newcomer in 2024 Mick Schumacher established himself towards the end of the season as one of Alpine Endurance Team’s best assets during the A424’s apprenticeship campaign. Well-versed in the demands of the very highest level, the 25-year-old German proved his ability on track, adapting quickly to the prototypes and claiming a podium finish with his teammates in the 6 Hours of Fuji. Now familiar with the intricacies of his new discipline, Mick is ready to step forward again with Alpine in 2025. Schumacher has confirmed too that he has left his previous role as Test and Reserve Driver for Mercedes AMG F1.
Mick Schumacher : “I am delighted that I will continue to be part of the Alpine Endurance adventure. We had a great first year together, and I am determined to help ensure that the performance of the program is even better in the second year. We have defined a few points where we want to attack, so I’m really looking forward to my second endurance season.”
Jules Gounon
2024 Alpine Endurance Team reserve driver Jules Gounon contested his first four FIA WEC races with the A424, standing in for Ferdinand Habsburg, Paul-Loup Chatin and Nicolas Lapierre. His GT racing exploits have seen wins at Spa, Daytona and Bathurst amongst others. Jules, who will soon turn 30, steps up as a full season driver in 2025.
Jules Gounon: “I’m going into this season in a very positive frame of mind. It will be my first full FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with Alpine Endurance Team, having been a reserve driver in 2024. I was able to contest four races, but I’m genuinely happy to become a full-time driver thanks to Alpine’s confidence. It’s a close-knit team. There is close collaboration among everyone and excellent understanding between all the drivers, which allows the whole team to work well and move forward together.”
Paul-Loup Chatin
Paul-Loup Chatin rejoined Les Bleus in 2024 for its return to the premier category. The 33-year-old Frenchman, already a title winner in ELMS and IMSA, quickly adapted to the Hypercar with his sure-footed, incisive driving style to help seal fourth place in the manufacturers’ championship in a head-to-head battle in the Bahrain final. Building on his experience with the A424, Paul-Loup and his teammates will look to take the team to the next level.
Paul-Loup Chatin: “I want to thank Alpine for their continued confidence in 2025. I’m already looking forward to the calendar’s first race to see where we stand with all the experience gained in 2024. We’ve had a year of learning in which we perfected and improved our car throughout the season. We hope our efforts will bear fruit, and Qatar will be the first litmus test.”
Ferdinand Habsburg
Brought in last year, Ferdinand Habsburg showed the extent of his talent with strong performances throughout the 2024 season. The 27-year-old Austrian has an unrivalled team spirit and is preparing to contest his second campaign, the first of which he missed two races due to injury in a testing crash after a car failure. A class winner at the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours with Charles Milesi, Ferdinand will be back even stronger and again be at the heart of the Alpine project to continue driving the team forward.
Ferdinand Habsburg: “It’s exciting to be back with the iconic Alpine brand as they continue their return to the pinnacle of endurance racing – a place in motorsport where they truly belong. Our first season with Alpine was about building relationships and trust between the drivers, mechanics, and engineers. Establishing that connection was key, and I believe that if we continue to strengthen those bonds, we’ll become an even greater force to be reckoned with. The car itself is inherently strong, and now it’s about ensuring the team continues to gel and work together like a family, just as we’ve been doing in 2024. If we keep that momentum, I’m confident we can achieve even more in the future.”
Bruno Famin, VP Alpine Motorsports:
“It is with great pleasure to announce the drivers who will defend Alpine’s colours in next year’s FIA World Endurance Championship. We have selected talented drivers who are not only fast but also have an exemplary analytical capacity and mindset. We are well acquainted with Charles Milesi, Paul-Loup Chatin, Ferdinand Habsburg and Mick Schumacher, all fully committed to the project.
“Our reserve driver, Jules Gounon, will become a full time driver after preparing for this role over the past year. As for Frédéric Makowiecki, his experience, feedback, and race craft will all be assets that will bolster our progress. Each brings a unique potential, with a single ambition: to improve the team and the A424 as much as possible. We have built a strong, close-knit group to build on the foundations of our first campaign, and the commitment of our drivers, coupled with their talent, will allow us to rise to the challenges that await us in the 2025 season.”
Nicolas Lapierre, Sporting Director Alpine Endurance Team:
“By bringing back five drivers, we are opting for stability to continue working on our learning campaign. We’re delighted to have Charles, Ferdinand, Jules, Mick and Paul-Loup back on board. We also welcome Frédéric Makowiecki, an endurance racing specialist with an excellent technical background. His profile and contributions are exactly what we need at this phase of the project. We’re delighted to have such an asset join our ranks.”
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team:
“Together with Bruno and Nicolas, we felt it was crucial to build on the strong foundations we had laid. Charles, Ferdinand, Mick and Paul-Loup have made huge contributions to setting up the project, showing real dedication. Jules has continued his integration through his role as a reverse driver and has met our expectations, so we were keen to promote him to the race team.
Lastly, the arrival of Frédéric Makowiecki is a real plus. His presence will give us the benefit of his vast experience, as well as his racing and technical credentials. His mindset and character mirror our project, and a personality makes you want to work with him, and his contribution will help us make headway towards our common goal.”
