The weekend began steadily for the #35 Alpine Racing crew, ending all three free practice sessions inside the top ten. Milesi then placed the car P9 on the grid for Sunday’s 6 Hours of Fuji.
Habsburg took the start and climbed to eighth, but contact with a Toyota and a subsequent penalty dropped him down the order. Remaining composed, he delivered a strong double stint climbing back 3 positions before handing the car over to Chatin, who recovered the car to P8, and that’s where he passed the wheel to Milesi.
After countless setbacks and near misses, the stars finally aligned for the #35 crew. A perfectly timed Full Course Yellow handed them a ‘free’ stop, catapulting the Alpine into P2 with just over two hours remaining.
The winning move came from behind the pit wall: while rivals opted to change all four tyres, Alpine switched only the left-hand side, saving valuable time. That call handed Milesi the lead, and the Frenchman managed the pressure perfectly, keeping the chasing Peugeot at bay and crossing the line in first place 7.6 seconds ahead.
This victory carries extra significance: Together, they earned Alpine’s first Hypercar win and Habsburg’s maiden FIA WEC overall triumph. It also marked his return to the top step for the first time since Monza 2022, bringing his tally to five FIA WEC wins and eleven podiums in his 32nd start.
Ferdinand Habsburg:
“This means everything. Holding this trophy has been in my dreams for quite some time. It’s the coolest thing to win a race with two of your best friends in the paddock. Charles and Paul-Loup are not only some of the best drivers, but also the best people I know. They have motivated me so much through my own mistakes and moments when I was not doing so well. It’s because of them really that we were able to win together as a team.”
Jamie Campbell-Walter, Managing Director Bullet Sports Management:
“It’s been a tough two years for Ferdinand since his Hypercar debut, but he’s bounced back from even the lowest points, including his recovery from last year’s accident. Luck never seemed to be on his side, and that maiden Hypercar podium kept slipping away. To finally achieve it as a win, and at the 100th FIA WEC race, is the most spectacular way to do it. It shows how hard work and perseverance pay off, and we couldn’t be prouder of him.”
The 2025 FIA WEC season commences on November 8 with the 8H of Bahrain.