With the World Endurance Championship (WEC) season beginning in March, Alpine has chosen to evolve its A424 ahead of the 2026 campaign. Initially designed with a focus on straight-line speed to take advantage of Le Mans’ long straights, the revised Hypercar-class entrant has fine-tuned its aerodynamic package to improve performance at mid-speed circuits.

The changes take a keen eye to spot, and include smaller dual-stacked diveplanes with upturned edges feature on the nose section along with new turning vanes for the side air outlets. A revised engine cover forgoes the Gurney flaps that formerly protruded from the wheel pods, and the diffuser loses its strakes. The rear bumper now takes a concave shape beyond the rear axle to round out the bodywork changes.

2026 Alpine A424 LMDh Evo - static side
2026 Alpine A424 LMDh Evo - static rear

Under the skin, the A424 remains the same, with its power coming from a 3.4-litre turbocharged V6. As with other LMDh-spec prototypes such as the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the Cadillac V-Series.R, the car uses a common 7-speed Xtrac gearbox and a Bosch hybrid system to send drive to the rear wheels. Regulations cap the total system output at a maximum of 671bhp before Balance of Performance (BoP) comes into play.

The aerodynamic update to the A424 has been long in the making, as the car was originally designed with top speed in mind. However, when the car made its competitive debut in 2024, the WEC brought in a new two-stage BoP system that dictated maximum outputs both below and above 155mph. As a result, the gamble on straight-line pace didn’t pay off, and the car has stopped short of being a consistent frontrunner in the WEC pack. Podiums at Imola and Spa preceded the car’s debut victory at Fuji, but it’s yet to show its speed at Le Mans.

2026 Alpine A424 LMDh Evo - pre-season testing at Portimao
2026 Alpine A424 LMDh Evo - pit lane

The two-car Alpine Endurance Team will only have one more shot of glory at the Circuit de La Sarthe, as the 2026 season will be its last in the WEC. The Renault Group’s new CEO - François Provost - isn’t as much of a motorsports fan as his predecessor Luca de Meo, and racing projects beyond Formula 1 are being scaled back; even the Dakar-winning Dacia Sandrider programme isn’t safe.

However, there’s 72 hours of racing before the chequered flag falls on the A424’s factory-backed racing career, with new signings Antonio Felix da Costa and Victor Martins piloting the #35 and #36 alongside Charles Milesi, Ferdinand Habsburg, Jules Gounon, and Frederic Makowiecki. On its final world tour, Alpine will be hoping for improved performances at higher-downforce circuits, and more silverware to add to the Viry-Châtillon factory’s trophy cabinet.

2026 Alpine A424 LMDh Evo - track testing night