Alpine set to shift aero philosophy with 2026 WEC LMDh overhaul

Alpine will move away from its low-downforce philosophy as it introduces a sizeable update to the A424 LMDh for the 2026 World Endurance Championship.

Having modified the 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 engine over the previous winter, the French manufacturer is rolling out the second major change to its Hypercar challenger, which made its debut at the beginning of the 2024 season.

The initial aero concept of the A424 was built around low downforce and high top-speed, aimed at maximising straightline performance at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

However, a new two-stage Balance of Performance system introduced in the middle of this season has essentially nullified any advantage Alpine had in that area, with power outputs now equalised in a separate band above 250 km/h.

“Yes, our philosophy was low downforce. We were focused on that, but because the regulations changed a little bit, especially this year, we have to change also — to be adaptable and to react with agility,” Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault told Motorsport.com. 

“So, for sure we considered this and we will move on this way.”

Alpine scored its first victory in its LMDh programme at September’s Fuji 6 Hours, where a bold strategy call elevated Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg and Paul-Loup Chatin to the top spot in the #35 A424.

The sister car shared by Mick Schumacher, Jules Gounon and Frederic Makowiecki also scored two podiums at the beginning of the campaign, but Alpine still ended the season sixth in the manufacturers’ standings — only ahead of Peugeot and newcomer Aston Martin.

Sinault stressed that Alpine’s goal is to build a versatile car that can be competitive on a wider range of tracks.

“After two years of operating this car, we have identified subjects and areas to improve, so the question of 2026 improvement is there to improve [in] these parts,” he explained.

“It’s a compromise. We have to have a car [that is] really performant at Le Mans and at Imola — these are so different tracks. So, we have to have the best car to be performant on all the tracks.”

Alpine is understood to have evaluated several new components at the Bugatti Circuit last month, when 2026 signing Antonio Felix da Costa turned his first laps in the A424.

However, testing for the new aero package could only begin after the Bahrain 8 Hours finale on 8 November.

The Renault brand has further tests scheduled at Paul Ricard, Portimao and Motorland ahead of the start of the 2026 campaign in Qatar on 28 March.

Asked about the team’s ambitions for 2026, Sinault said: “To make a better season. We have the package, the sporting package, the big support of Alpine, the big expected improvement and commitment of everybody. 

“We are here to perform, we are here to win some races, and to perform at Le Mans.”

Alpine is planning to homologate the updated A424 by the end of December. For this purpose, Alpine will have to ship the car to the US, with the Windshear facility in Carolina now the WEC’s only designated wind tunnel for homologation work.

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— The Motorsport.com Team