Since Renault decided to rebrand as Alpine two and a half years ago, the team has been riddled with instability and turmoil.
The nadir arrived on the Friday of the Belgian Grand Prix weekend as in the middle of a racing day, with qualifying looming, the team decided to part company with team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, albeit keeping them in situ to see out the event.
Their departures are the culmination of a dramatic period of upheaval that began in January 2021, representing what has come across as a chaotic and seemingly illogical approach to going racing in F1, with little care or thought towards building a degree of stability that is so crucial to success.
Here, Speedcafe looks at the timeline of events that have unfolded since the decision was taken to switch from Renault to Alpine.
January 12, 2021: The starting point, and catalyst for what has since transpired as it was announced Renault would rebrand to Alpine in a bid to boost its ailing sportscar brand.
On what was a major day for the organisation, it was also surprisingly confirmed that after five years as team principal, Cyril Abiteboul would leave and play no part in the team’s future as Alpine, despite being involved behind the scenes in the early rebuilding process.
Laurent Rossi, previously director of strategy and business development, was appointed as Alpine F1 CEO, taking charge of ‘Cars, Sport, F1, and competition activities’.
January 17, 2021: After more than 20 years in MotoGP, and prolific success with Yamaha, and significantly Suzuki, Davide Brivio joins the team in the newly-created role of racing director, forming a three-pronged leadership team alongside Rossi, with Marcin Budkowski retaining his title of executive director through the Renault-to-Alpine transition, effectively becoming the de facto team leader and spokesperson.
December 12, 2021: With Fernando Alonso at the wheel on his return to F1 after a two-season break, and despite a victory for Esteban Ocon in Hungary, Alpine fail to improve on Renault’s fifth place in the constructors’ championship from the previous season, notably scoring 26 fewer points.
January 13, 2022: After four years with the operation, and 12 months with Alpine, a management shake-up sees Budkowski leave his role as executive director.
January 18, 2022: Alain Prost leaves his roles as non-executive director and special advisor after five years in the posts. The four-time champion departed under a cloud given the news was leaked prior to his exit, accusing the team of having “no respect”. In an interview with L’Equipe, Prost slated Rossi: “His desire is to be alone, not to be polluted by anyone. There is a real desire to put a lot of people on the sidelines.”
February 17, 2022: In a major shake-up, Szafnauer joins as team principal; Bruno Famin is appointed as executive director, departing from his role as deputy secretary-general for sport with the FIA, with his main brief to pursue the development of the team’s F1 power unit. Brivio, meanwhile, is shunted sideways into the position of director of racing expansion projects, with his brief to identify and develop young potential.
August 1, 2022: Four days after Sebastian Vettel announced he would be retiring from F1 at the end of the season, Fernando Alonso stuns the sport by confirming he will replace his fellow champion at Aston Martin for 2023. Later in the day, and in a bizarre statement, Alpine announces reserve Oscar Piastri will replace Alonso, but with no quotes from the Australian, who later takes to Twitter to state he will not be driving for the team in 2023.
September 2, 2022: After a month of to-ing and fro-ing, Alpine loses a second driver in the space of 33 days as F1’s Contracts Recognition Board confirms McLaren is the only team that has a valid deal with Piastri.
November 20, 2022: Despite the fact the team fails to score a podium across the 22 grands prix, it finally improves to fourth in the constructors’ standings.
December 10, 2022: Alpine confirms Pierre Gasly will join the team for 2023, forming an all-French line-up alongside Ocon.
February 21, 2023: After seven years with Ferrari as director of engineering, Philippe Krief is appointed as vice president, engineering & product performance, reporting to Rossi.
June 26, 2023: Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds is part of an investor group that acquires a 24 percent equity stake in the organisation in a deal that values the team at USD $900 million.
July 10, 2023: Famin steps up to the role as vice president, Alpine Motorsports, again reporting to Rossi. Remarkably, Alpine claimed that the “new organisation will further simplify and reinforce Alpine’s governance under Rossi’s leadership”.
July 20, 2023: Just 10 days later, Rossi is shunted aside from his role as CEO of the F1 team, and into a nondescript position “to focus on special projects linked to the transformation of the (Renault) Group”. Krief steps into Rossi’s role.
July 28, 2023: The biggest change since the Alpine rebrand to date as Szafnauer and Permane depart, the latter after 34 years with the Enstone organisation. Famin is appointed interim team principal; Alpine academy director Julian Rouse is named as interim sporting director, whilst Matt Harman is to lead the technical team, with Pat Fry also leaving his position as chief technical officer to join Williams in the same role.
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