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After a poor footing into the 2024 Formula 1 season and witnessing the A524 produce mediocre outputs during the weekends, the Alpine F1 team boss has aimed at the management that looked after the team before his arrival.
Renault ran the now-French outfit until the 2020 season but in a bid to promote their sports car brand, Alpine, they rebranded it and flagged off their first run in the new outfit at the 2021 Bahrain GP. The debut year of the rebadged team, under then-boss Marcin Budkowski secured P5 in the constructors standings.
However, the team principal left in January 2022 which marked the arrival of Otmar Szafnauer. Under his mentorship, the French outfit improved to fourth-place finish, but the 2023 season witnessed a turnaround of events. After the 2023 Belgian GP, the 59-year-old resigned due to structural modifications made inside the garage. His departure apparently didn't hurt the team much as it managed to settle at P6.
The current season has been nothing but a rollercoaster for Alpine, courtesy of the resignation of technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer post the season-opener Bahrain GP. Moreover, neither Pierre Gasly nor Esteban Ocon has managed to open their points tally this season as the A524 is gravely struggling with on-track performance.
The team principal Bruno Famin spoke during an interview with F1.com pointing a finger at the previous management, saying:
"It's not a fun period. We are not where we want to be in terms of performance, we are not doing the project to be P15 or P16...we know everyone has ups and downs. We are in a down."
The Alpine boss added:
"The car we have now is the result of the team's previous management. But what's important is what we're doing now. And I'm happy with what we're doing. Clearly we have a long way to go and we have a lot to improve."
Alpine boss reveals "looking at the market" if the lineup decides to part ways
The current season has been a collection of subpar outcomes in every race. Pierre Gasly scored points in his debut run with Alpine at the 2023 Bahrain GP, scoring P9. However, the Frenchman has failed to collect a single point this season, with a DNF at the Saudi Arabian GP adding salt to his wounds.
On the other hand, his teammate, Esteban Ocon was retained by the team after switching from Renault works and has been racing for his home outfit since 2021. In his first year, Ocon raked in a win at the 2021 Hungarian GP, despite starting from P8. The 27-year-old put a promising display competing closely with his teammate. However, the A524 has failed to deliver on its promises this season.
Witnessing the turmoil in the paddock, speculations about the teammates' departure have gained traction. Nevertheless, Famin expressed the team's readiness to grab the alternatives if the driver(s) decide to part ways. He said (via F1.com):
“There are ups and down, we are in a down but we have a strong project with a long term vision. We are also looking at the market and we also have our academy...we have Jack Doohan who is our reserve, Victor Martins in F2."
