Mick Schumacher’s tire damage in the final third of the race cost him more time than Alpine was behind at the finish line – it was the best performance since the program began
“The tire damage cost us a total of 23 seconds.” – Philippe Sinault, team principal of the Signatech racing team, without saying it directly: The Alpine A424 36 driven by Mick Schumacher, Frederic Makowiecki, and Jules Gounon would probably have won the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
The gap at the finish line to the winning Ferrari 50 – still had to complete.
Nevertheless, the early stop was a clear handicap, as Sinault explains: “Not really that the race was lost – but we knew immediately that we would lose time. Because we had to bring Mick in earlier, his car was heavier and he was driving with a fuller tank.” Added to this was the time lost due to the tire change.
Makowiecki more cautious: “Probably second place”
Mick Schumacher was not available for interviews after the race, but Frederic Makowiecki, who laid the foundation with a strong double stint in the early stages (more on that in the coming days), assessed the race from a driver’s perspective.
“On the one hand, I’m naturally disappointed, but on the other hand, I’m proud of the team,” said the Frenchman. “We’re getting to understand our car better and better and are working more and more efficiently. Of course, we have a very strong opponent in Ferrari, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Makowiecki joined the Alpine project at the beginning of 2025 and felt at home right from the start. The A424 with Oreca chassis is considered easier to drive than the Porsche 963 with Multimatic base, which is a bit more pointed. In only his third race for Alpine, he delivered one of the best performances of his career.
Two in a row. pic.twitter.com/1xHdlkaPib
— Alpine Endurance Team (@SignatechAlpine) May 10, 2025
Unlike Sinault, Makowiecki was still cautious about the possible victory after the race – although the final team briefing was still pending at that point: “We would probably have finished second, but it would have been a close battle for the win. At the end of the day, we still managed to secure a podium spot.”
He added: “When we attacked more, Ferrari was able to pick up the pace. I think we had better consistency, but in terms of pure pace, they were slightly better.”
Hours-long duel with Ferrari
In fact, a high-class duel developed between the Alpine 51 could have been closed. However, Mick Schumacher also had a lot of clear track, which he didn’t have in a direct duel.
