Alpine Endurance Team survived a night full of challenges at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Both crews overcame the difficulties to climb back up the order.
The #35 and #36 Alpine A424s now enter the final stretch of the race.
After an encouraging start to the race, Alpine took on the night phase of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 13th and 14th place after the eight-hour mark, Alpine Endurance Team's trios kept pushing in the dark.
 
Shortly after the restart following a safety car period, Frédéric Makowiecki replaced Jules Gounon in the #36 car. The French duo remained vigilant, however, following the failure of a front anti-roll bar link. Ferdinand Habsburg was also battling hard in the sister car whilst dealing with a faulty drink system before handing over to Charles Milesi.
 
Their efforts kept the Alpine A424s in contention despite brake temperature issues. Victor Martins (#36) then continued the charge until dawn, as did António Félix da Costa and Charles Milesi on the other side of the garage. The A-arrow Hypercars maintained their solid pace and the #35 was still within a lap of the leader as the race entered its final third.
 
After 16 hours, Alpine is 6th (#35) and 7th (#35) with António Félix da Costa and Jules Gounon behind the wheel.
 
 
QUOTES
 
António Félix da Costa
“My first triple stint was quite tricky. I spent a lot of time stuck in traffic behind other Hypercars, which made it very difficult to keep the tyres within their optimal operating window. We lacked some grip and had a few brake issues, but we managed to get through the night. It hasn’t been the easiest start to the race, but we’re still in the fight.”
 
Charles Milesi
“At the moment, we’re battling for fourth place. There are still eight hours of racing left, so anything is still possible, and we’ll see where we end up. The aim is to keep the momentum going and, above all, avoid making mistakes. We also know that the next few hours could turn the race on its head, so we’ll see how the situation develops and seize any opportunity that arises.”
 
Jules Gounon
“My stints went pretty well, despite a vibration issue following a slight flat spot on a tyre. This forced us to cut a stint short for the second time since the start of the race, first with Victor and then with me. We also benefited from the regrouping caused by the safety car just before midnight, which allowed us to stay in the mix. The aim now is to come within the same lap as the leader, and we’ll see how the race develops over the coming hours.”
 
Philippe Sinault, Team Principal Alpine Endurance Team
“We’ve weathered the night at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and are pleased to still be on the same lap as the leaders with the #35. This keeps us in the mix and means we’re still in with a chance at this stage of the race. We found a decent pace in the early hours of the morning. The cooler conditions helped us, but this is also down to the adjustments we made and better handling of the minor issues we faced earlier. Our goal is to maintain our pace to consolidate our positions whilst remaining ready to seize any opportunity to break into the top five.”
 
 
CLASSIFICATION AFTER 16 HOURS
 
Alpine Endurance Team #35 / Da Costa-Habsburg-Milesi
Start: 3rd / H+8: 14th / H+16: 6th
 
Alpine Endurance Team #36 / Gounon-Makowiecki-Martins
Start: 13th / H+8: 13th / H+16: 7th