Alpine delivers Michelin's 100th FIA WEC triumph!
The #35 Alpine A424 of Chatin/Habsburg/Milesi took advantage of a smart tire strategy late in the race to win the FIA World Endurance Championship's 100th round and notch up Michelin's century in the series. Second and third were the #93 Peugeot (Di Resta/Jensen/Vergne) and #6 Porsche (Estre/Vanthoor).
The FIA WEC's 100th fixture lived up every bit to its promise at Japan's famous Fuji Speedway. This year's 6 Hours of Fuji took place in dry, if overcast conditions, but a variety of incidents and tangles produced several Full Course Yellow and Safety Car interruptions that impacted the running order.
After monopolizing the grid's front row, the #12 and #38 Cadillac V-Series led up to the day's first Virtual Safety Car period which was followed by a spell behind the Safety Car. This was a blow to those cars that had just pitted but a gift to those that waited a little longer to stop for fuel!
The #93 Peugeot 9X8 then took control for 61 laps to confirm the progress revealed at the recent round in Austin (Texas, USA) and in free practice in Japan. Unfortunately, the French squad elected to take the time to change all four of the car's medium MICHELIN Pilot Sports during its final pit-stop with an hour to go.
In contrast, Alpine Endurance Team only changed the left-hand slicks of its #35 prototype which was running inside the top-three at that point. The seconds saved in the pit-lane enabled it to rejoin in front, and driver Charles Milesi kept his cool to earn a landmark win for Alpine and Michelin.
“Alpine put its confidence in our tires to double-stint the same right-hand slicks which ended up completing 87 laps - almost 400 kilometers,” reports Pierre Alves, manager of Michelin Motorsport's endurance-racing programs. “Not only did the move pay off but it also showcased the longevity and consistency of our our products. The FIA WEC's roll-of-honor will recall that the championship's closely-fought 100th round was won by Michelin and Alpine, two longtime partners in world-class endurance racing.”
The third car on Sunday's podium was the #6 Porsche 963 which opted for the same tire strategy as Peugeot, while Penske Motorsport's #5 sister car was fourth to keep the scrap for the 2025 Manufacturers' title alive. Ferrari could have wrapped up the contest this weekend but various woes and penalties relegated its #50 and #51 499Ps to 11th and 15th overall respectively. Similarly, the trio in the #83 Ferrari could have made sure of the Drivers' crown at Fuji, but 10th place at the flag means that this fight, too, will be settled at the season's finale.
Also of note in Japan was the performance of Aston Martin whose #009 Valkyrie ended up sixth after having a footing on the podium at one point. Toyota had a poor home race, however. Its #7 GR010 Hybrid crossed the line in eighth position, while its #8 car was 16th after being handed a three-minute penalty.
The last round of the campaign will take teams to Bahrain on November 8.