Makowiecki Confident Sinault Can Maintain Hypercar Program

Alpine FIA World Endurance Championship driver Fred Makowiecki believes that if anyone can ensure the future of the squad, it’s Signatech boss Philippe Sinault.

Makowiecki admitted he was “a little bit shocked” when it was announced in February that Alpine would be exiting the WEC at the end of this season.

Since then, Sinault has been working on plans to ensure the Alpine A424s that his team operates can remain on the WEC grid in 2027 and has held talks with multiple OEMs, including Chinese electric giant BYD, about taking over the program.

Long before Alpine’s factory entry into the Hypercar ranks in 2024, Signatech had enjoyed a relationship with the French manufacturer and Makowiecki said that Sinault knows what it takes to get a brand involved.

“The only thing I can say is I know Philippe Sinault is working really hard,” Makowiecki told Sportscar365 when asked about his future.

“We have to keep in mind that, without him, Alpine would’ve never come.

“He made it to survive the program for ten years or a little bit less until Alpine arrived as a manufacturer. That’s why, if someone can do it, for sure it’s him.

“He knows very well how to step by step make it that it can happen, but the schedule is quite short. It will not be easy.

“WEC I think can be interesting for some manufacturers but it’s a proper decision — because you would not be coming and spending 200 euro. It’s also a decision which needs to be taken for the long-term because you can’t see it as a short-term.”

Makowiecki joined the Alpine lineup last year, having spent the previous 11 years as a Porsche factory driver, including two campaigns with Porsche Penske Motorsport in the Hypercar class.

He recently made a return to GT3 competition for the first time in two years when he tackled the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa at the wheel of a Schumacher CLRT Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo and finished fourth.

When asked if he could make further GT3 appearances in the future amid the uncertainty surrounding Alpine, Makowiecki said it was a possibility, but added: “Right now I don’t have so much vision [about 2027].

“To be honest, when the program [Alpine] was announced it would be stopped I was a little bit shocked because, initially when I came to Alpine, it was to do a little bit more than two years.

“It always takes time to build up a team. Sometimes we forget that Toyota have been there close to 15 years, Ferrari took the support from AF Corse to already have a base even if they built up a very strong car.

“All of that to make the chemistry of everything working well, and everybody is working together, it takes time.

“We’re doing some steps, we’ve showed we’re going in the right direction and we need time to continue to go step by step.

“Also to interest very good and high level person by getting some good results you are also attractive to the people at a very high level: as engineers, mechanics, drivers and everything.”

Alpine currently sits fourth in the WEC’s manufacturers’ standings ahead of the fourth round of the season in Brazil next weekend, having achieved a best result of fourth so far this year.