FUJI, Japan â Alpine will lead the field into Sundayâs 6 Hours of Fuji after severe weather forced the cancellation of Saturdayâs FIA World Endurance Championship qualifying programme, putting the French manufacturer on an all-Alpine front row at Fuji Speedway.
BREAKING NEWS: Qualifying for the 6 Hours of Fuji has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions.
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) September 26, 2026
#WEC #6HFuji pic.twitter.com/QdsT9oaeIo
The No. 36 Alpine A424 of Victor Martins and Jules Gounon takes pole, with the sister No. 35 of Ferdinand Habsburg and Charles Milesi alongside. The result gives Alpine valuable track position heading into a six-hour race where changing conditions could make strategy as important as outright speed.
Weather wipes out the fight for pole
Saturdayâs running was hit by difficult conditions at Fuji. The LMGT3 qualifying session was red-flagged almost immediately after an early Ferrari incident, before worsening conditions prevented the planned qualifying and Hyperpole programme from being completed.
That denied Hypercar teams their normal opportunity to fight for grid position and put additional importance on the pace shown during practice.
Martins had already put Alpine on top
Alpine had been quick before the qualifying cancellation. Martins set the benchmark in Fridayâs FP2 with a 1:29.304 lap in the No. 36.
The battle was incredibly close. The No. 007 Aston Martin Valkyrie finished just 0.039 seconds behind, while the No. 35 Alpine was only 0.093 seconds away in third.
Martins remained on top when rain transformed the circuit for Saturdayâs FP3, setting a 1:40.594. Alpine therefore showed front-running pace in contrasting conditions before qualifying was abandoned.
Two drivers will carry each Alpine through six hours
Alpine has also taken a different approach to its driver lineups at Fuji. Martins and Gounon share the No. 36 without Frédéric Makowiecki, while Habsburg and Milesi race the No. 35 without António Félix da Costa.
The two-driver arrangement could influence stint lengths and driver workload, particularly if rain forces repeated tyre or strategy changes.
Alpine has enjoyed notable qualifying success elsewhere in motorsport this month, including Pierre Gaslyâs Italian Grand Prix pole in Formula One.
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Alpine returns to the scene of its breakthrough win
Fuji already holds special significance for the A424 programme. Alpine won the 2025 6 Hours of Fuji with Habsburg, Milesi and Paul-Loup Chatin, delivering the Hypercar its first WEC victory.
That experience could matter on Sunday. Fujiâs 4.563-kilometre, 16-corner layout combines a roughly 1.475-kilometre main straight with a technical final sector, creating a difficult setup compromise even before rain enters the equation.
The official FIA WEC event information schedules the race for 11:00 a.m. Japan Standard Time on Sunday, September 27.
Thirty-five cars and a championship fight await
A total of 35 cars â 17 Hypercars and 18 LMGT3 entries â are entered at Fuji. Managing slower-class traffic will become a major part of the battle once the race settles into its rhythm.
Fuji is Round 6 of the eight-round WEC season. Toyota heads into its home race leading the Hypercar manufacturersâ standings on 140 points, ahead of BMW on 131 and Ferrari on 114.
Toyota has historically been formidable at Fuji, winning nine of the previous 12 WEC races at the circuit, but Alpine ended that run with victory in 2025.
The weather cancellation gives Alpine prime starting position, but six hours leaves plenty of room for the order to change. Traffic, tyre calls, pit-stop timing, safety cars and potentially more rain could all reshape the race.
Motorsport fans can also look ahead to another major endurance-era calendar development with the recently announced 2027 Formula One calendar and expanded Sprint schedule.
Alpine now has the front row and proven Fuji pace. Sunday will decide whether it can turn those advantages into back-to-back victories in Japan.
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