24h Le Mans
Alpine Endurance Team has received a substantial boost ahead of the FIA World Endurance Championship 2025 season, including the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June). After a 10-year collaboration with Porsche, Frédéric Makowiecki is joining Alpine Endurance Team with a clear aim: winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Frédéric Makowiecki is a seasoned professional with a reputation for endurance expertise. His enthusiasm at the idea of joining Alpine is unfeigned. “I’m extremely proud as a French driver,” he says. “It's something special to represent a French manufacturer in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the possibility of aiming for an overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially as Alpine has a vibrant motorsport history. I’m already looking forward to Qatar!”
After returning to the top class of endurance in 2024 with the A424 Hypercar, Alpine fully intends to step up a gear in 2025. The arrival of a driver of Makowiecki’s stature is a sign of the team’s growing ambitions.
The French outfit’s dynamic approach and work ethic have pleased the experienced recruit. “I was attracted by the way the project came to fruition, the way we work, and above all, the desire,” he enthuses. “I like efficiency, understanding, and using techniques to get things done. I truly liked the team's approach and development.”
The Frenchman has also teamed up again with Alpine Motorsports VP Bruno Famin, with whom he worked over a decade earlier. “He gave me my first LMP1 test back in 2011,” he recalls, “and we've kept in touch ever since. I like his approach and ‘racer’ spirit, which pushes him to question everything to keep moving forward and trying to make the impossible possible.”
With over a decade of endurance experience and an impressive track record, Makowiecki has tools in his locker that will be invaluable to Alpine in developing the A424. “I’m arriving with great humility,” he says. “I was in a sort of routine after ten years with another constructor, so now I have to learn how Alpine works.”
His technical development expertise and strategic approach to endurance racing will be highly beneficial to the team. “My technical background can also bring a different vision to these very complex prototypes,” he insists. “The race weekends are short, so we must quickly identify what to do and define priorities and targets. Doing everything better than everyone else will be crucial if we are to get over the final hurdles.”
With the Alpine A424 showing constant progress last season, the French team harbours lofty ambitions for 2025. The current frame of mind of both driver and team were revealed when Makowiecki was asked to define Alpine Endurance Team in three words: “Potential, French touch and Le Mans target!”
His experience, motivation and thirst for performance will be precious assets for his new team. A new adventure that can only delight Makowiecki fans before the real business begins on the racetrack.
