Antonio Felix da Costa will return to the World Endurance Championship in 2026 as part of Alpine’s factory squad in the Hypercar class.
As reported by Autosport last month, da Costa will join a revamped line-up at the French car manufacturer after ending a three-year spell with Porsche during which he primarily competed in Formula E.
The Portuguese will combine his new WEC commitments with a full campaign in the all-electric series, where he will switch to Jaguar alongside Mitch Evans.
Da Costa was previously a regular in the WEC and secured the Le Mans-title double with Jota in the LMP2 class in 2022.
However, after a maiden season in the Hypercar class with Jota’s customer Porsche 963 LMDh in 2023, the German manufacturer insisted on him diverting all his attention to FE – a decision that did not go down well with him.
Da Costa and Porsche agreed to go their different ways at the end of the 2024/25 season, where he finished fifth in the championship with five podiums but no wins.
“I am delighted to join the Alpine Endurance Team,” said the 34-year-old. “Returning to the FIA World Endurance Championship was one of my main objectives, and I am extremely pleased to do so with a manufacturer that has been redefining itself in a bold and ambitious way, and now competing at the forefront of endurance racing.
Antonio Felix da Costa, Alpine
Photo by: Alpine
“Alpine is a brand with a strong racing heritage, and becoming part of such an impressive ecosystem is truly exciting. The team has been performing at a very high level, recently scored its maiden victory with the A424, making this the perfect moment to begin our collaboration. Everyone knows my passion for endurance racing.
“I have worked extremely hard to develop as a complete driver in this discipline and, after winning the LMP2 title, my goal now is to contribute to Alpine’s success at the pinnacle. I look forward to working with the team, my team-mates and all the engineers and mechanics.”
Alpine has yet to announce how da Costa will be accommodated in its line-up, which is expected to undergo major changes with both Mick Schumacher and Paul Loup Chatin set to leave the team at the end of 2025.
Chatin could join Genesis’ new LMDh programme next season, while Schumacher is known to be in talks with McLaren and has also shown interest in returning to single-seaters.
“We are thrilled to welcome Antonio,” said Alpine team principal Philippe Sinault. “We have known each other for a long time, and our paths have often crossed, particularly in F3 and Endurance racing. There has always been mutual respect between us, as well as a desire to work together one day. It is truly satisfying to see this wish come true today.
“Antonio is a pure racer who has always known how to get the best out of his car and has been a formidable competitor. His presence has left its mark on every team and category he has raced for.
“He fits in perfectly with our philosophy: human, committed, and focused solely on efficiency. We share the same passion and vision, and we are familiar with his environment, so I am confident that we will quickly become fully operational and performant.
“Antonio will bring a lot with his experience, personality, and results-oriented culture, and we are excited about taking on future challenges together.”
Da Costa sampled the Alpine A424 for the first time at Le Mans’s Buggati Circuit in a private test on Monday. He will also be on duty in WEC’s official post-season test in Bahrain next month.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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