Alpine Adds Da Costa to Hypercar Driver Lineup for 2026

Alpine has confirmed that it has signed Antonio Felix da Costa to be part of its FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar driver lineup starting next year.

The Portuguese racer, who won the LMP2 world title with JOTA in 2022, returns to top-level sports car racing after two seasons on the sidelines, during which he exclusively focused on his duties with Porsche in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

However, his departure from the German manufacturer’s driver roster left Da Costa clear to return to WEC, having previously competed in the Hypercar category as part of Hertz Team JOTA’s customer Porsche 963 program in 2023.

“I am delighted to join Alpine Endurance Team,” da Costa said.

“Returning to the FIA World Endurance Championship was one of my main objectives, and I am extremely pleased to do so with a manufacturer that has been redefining itself in a bold and ambitious way, and now competing at the forefront of endurance racing.

“Alpine is a brand with a strong racing heritage, and becoming part of such an impressive ecosystem is truly exciting.

“The team has been performing at a very high level, recently scored its maiden victory with the A424, making this the perfect moment to begin our collaboration.

“Everyone knows my passion for endurance racing. I have worked extremely hard to develop as a complete driver in this discipline and, after winning the LMP2 title, my goal now is to contribute to Alpine’s success at the pinnacle.

“I look forward to working with the team, my teammates and all the engineers and mechanics.”

As previously reported by Sportscar365, da Costa became linked to Alpine over the summer as the French brand looks set to head into the 2026 with a revamped driver lineup.

While Da Costa joins, Paul-Loup Chatin is headed for the exit while Mick Schumacher’s status with the team remains a question mark after the German recently completed an IndyCar test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Indianapolis.

Da Costa, for his part, has already completed a maiden run with the A424 LMDh car at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit on Monday and will carry out further testing with Alpine at next month’s Bahrain rookie test.

“We are very pleased to welcome Antonio Felix da Costa to Alpine Endurance Team,” said Alpine sporting director Nicolas Lapierre.

“Antonio’s profile is exactly what we were looking for: speed, experience and a thorough knowledge of endurance racing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“His track record in multiple categories speaks for itself, and we know he will bring a lot to the team, both in sporting terms and on a personal level.

“He is a complete, determined and charismatic driver who will quickly integrate into our structure. We are eager to embark on this new adventure and start working together to make Alpine an ever-stronger force at the forefront of the FIA WEC.”