Alpine IMSA’s Plans Delayed as Expansion to U.S. Market Stalls

Alpine’s potential expansion into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP category is “on hold” according to its vice president of motorsport Bruno Famin, citing the Renault Group’s decision to postpone the introduction of the brand to the U.S. market due to economic factors and market uncertainty.

The French manufacturer is currently in the midst of its second season in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the A424 LMDh car, notably securing podium finishes at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps earlier this year.

Under the LMDh regulations, the A424 would also be eligible to compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTP category.

Senior figures from the brand have previously floated the idea of stepping into the WeatherTech Championship as a part of Alpine’s wider strategy to enter the U.S. market with its current fleet of electrified sports cars in 2027.

However, it is understood that those plans have since largely stalled due to a variety of factors, with an Alpine spokesperson telling Sportscar365 that “the market has shifted,” triggering a need to “focus our efforts and strengthen [and] develop our current markets before seeking new markets with different regulations.”

It went on to state that the brand anticipates “the auto market in Europe to become more adverse in the coming quarters,” which had led it to “proactively launch additional cost reduction measures.”

As part of these mitigating measures, Alpine made the decision to “postpone certain side project while preserving the development of our lineup,” with the expansion to the U.S. market falling under this category.

Additionally, 25 percent tariffs on all passenger automobiles as well as car parts to the U.S., implemented by president Donald Trump in April and May respectively, are also understood to be a factor.

Duncan Minto, who was recently named interim CEO of the Renault Group in the wake of Luca de Meo’s departure, said in a financial results press conference earlier this year that the French manufacturer has “postponed” evaluating the introduction of Alpine to the U.S. market.

“Some of the studies, if you want to go into some detail, we’d said that we would look to commercialize Alpine in the U.S.,” said Minto, speaking in his capacity as the company’s chief financial officer at the time.

“So considering what’s going on in the U.S. at the moment, I don’t think it’s the right time to be spending on those studies. So we’ve postponed that.”

When asked by Sportscar365 what this means with regards to Alpine’s presence in the WeatherTech Championship, Famin outlined that such plans have been put “on hold.”

“We race to promote the brand,” he said. “Which is a very good project, because Alpine needs to be known. The brand awareness needs to be really developed outside of Western Europe.

“Of course, it would make a lot of sense to race in IMSA the day the brand decides to sell cars in the U.S. but for the time being it’s a bit on hold for [economic] reasons. Let’s see. Let’s wait.”

Although no program was ever formalized, the topic of Alpine in IMSA made headlines in 2022 when it was revealed that parent company Renault had held negotiations with Michael Andretti and the then-named Andretti Autosport organization.

This came at a time when Andretti sought an engine supplier for its plan to enter Formula 1.

However, that project has since morphed into the Cadillac F1 Team that is set to use customer Ferrari engines when it debuts next year.

Andretti instead linked up with Wayne Taylor Racing as part of its Acura GTP program in the WeatherTech Championship, most notably winning the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2024.

The partnership between WTR and Andretti effectively came to an end ahead of the 2025 season, although the Dan Towriss-led TWG Motorsports, which is the majority owner of Andretti Global, holds a stake in WTR.

Alpine’s WEC program, meanwhile, continues to be run together with the Philippe Sinault-led Signatech organization, with Alpine becoming a shareholder in the team last year.

For his part, Famin, who formerly served as Peugeot’s technical director during its stint in the American Le Mans Series, reiterated his love for IMSA competition, but stated that an entry for the brand into the series has to “make sense” in according with the rest of the brand’s strategy.

“All the teams would love to race IMSA, myself first,” he said. “I had the opportunity to race some races there in the past and it’s really very good.

“But we race for promoting the brand and of course it has to make sense for the brand with the right timing.

“I think the brand project is the key point and to see when the brand will be ready [and then] we’ll decide what to do.”