Florian Niedermair
Formula 1 & Motorsport Department
Italian on paper, Austrian at heart. Most of his time is spent on Formula 1, but he also enjoys taking part in other racing series.MORE
Mick Schumacher’s teammate Nicolas Lapierre parked his Alpine A424 with the starting number 36 (Lapierre/Schumacher/Vaxiviere) in the pits shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Saturday evening and the engine cover was raised. A short time later, the French car’s retirement was confirmed. Mick Schumacher’s debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was over. As were Alpine’s hopes of achieving a top result at their LMDh premiere at the Sarthe.
Double exit for Alpine: Schumacher and Habsburg out early
The end sealed Alpine’s zero result. An hour earlier, the #35 Alpine with Ferdinand Habsburg (teammates: Milesi/Chatin) at the wheel had come to a stop at the side of the track. A short time before, smoke had risen from the prototype.
Habsburg immediately got out of his car and gave up. Understandable given the obviously terminal damage. It was the last chapter of a difficult Le Mans weekend for the returnee. His Alpine had already struggled with problems several times during training. Habsburg was out for a long time in 2024 after a test accident and only got fit again for Le Mans.
It was particularly bitter for Alpine: The Renault brand exceeded expectations in the training and qualifying sessions for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was able to compete at the front. Alpine driver Paul-Loup Chatin even made it into the Hyperpole qualifying.
In racing trim, the Alpines performed respectably until the double retirement. However, they were not involved in the battle for the overall lead, which was largely fought between Ferrari and Porsche. Mick Schumacher, by the way, achieved the fastest lap time of all six hypercar drivers for the Renault brand.
© Motorsport Magazine