Three years ago, the debut of the LMDh class kicked off an explosion of manufacturer involvement at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The so-called Platinum Age has seen additions of major manufacturers every year since, but cracks have formed over the past year. The latest is at Alpine, the Renault performance imprint that had been racing in the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2024, as the brand announced on Thursday that 2026 will be its last season in the class.
Alpine becomes the first major manufacturer to completely withdraw its hypercar, rather than pull it from just one series or put the entire program on a pause. It ends a race-winning program, a distinction the team earned in a WEC race at Fuji last season. The team still has one season left to add more victories for its Oreca-based A424 prototype, of course, including one more shot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In a statement released Thursday, the French manufacturer says that it is focusing on a Formula 1 program that has undergone cuts of its own in the past year. 2026 marks the team's first season as a customer of Mercedes, dropping its works status after a November 2024 decision to shut down the long-lived Renault F1 engine shop.
Porsche remains the highest-profile manufacturer to step back from the new class, dropping its championship-winning FIA WEC program this past offseason. The Porsche 963 remains active in IMSA, where it won a third straight 24 Hours of Daytona in January.
Audi dropped a related program before it ever raced, officially announcing that it would not go forward with an unnamed LMDh car in March 2022. Lamborghini's SC 63 program is officially paused, but even major gains in its final races probably will not be enough to earn the program a revival any time soon.
Each of those losses means one fewer manufacturer on the grid at Le Mans, but other additions will mean that the 24-hour classic still has plenty of major contenders in the coming years. Genesis is launching its own LMDh program this year, and Ford and McLaren have announced plans to join next year.
The exit of Alpine marks a significant shift in the LMDh landscape, with major manufacturers reassessing their priorities and strategies. As the class continues to grow, teams are forced to make tough decisions about where to focus their resources.
With Alpine's departure, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will have to adapt to a new reality, one that is likely to be shaped by the changing landscape of the LMDh class. The question on everyone's mind now is what this means for the future of the sport.
As the major manufacturers continue to reassess their priorities, it remains to be seen how the LMDh class will evolve in the coming years. One thing is certain, however: the 24 Hours of Le Mans will continue to be a premier event in the world of endurance racing.
The exit of Alpine marks a significant shift in the LMDh landscape, with major manufacturers reassessing their priorities and strategies.
