"No respect" - Alain Prost unhappy with how Alpine F1 announced his departure

Alain Prost said that he was very disappointed with how the news had come out (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Alain Prost said that he was very disappointed with how the news had come out (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Four-time F1 world champion and legendary driver Alain Prost showed his displeasure towards the Alpine team for their lack of respect. This comes after the news was released that the Frenchman had left the Renault-owned team from his position as non-executive director.

The 66-year-old, who won the championships in 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1993, had joined the team in 2017 as an advisor. Several media houses have reported that Alpine has not renewed Prost’s annual contract. Having said that, there was no official statement from the team informing the same.

Alain took to his Instagram account to express his displeasure at the move, posting the image below:

The legendary driver, who is known for his close championship battles with Ayrton Senna, said in the post:

“It was agreed that we would announce together with @alpinef1team! No respect sorry! I have refused the offer made to me in Abu Dhabi for the 2022 season because of a personal relationship and I was right! To the Enstone and Viry team I will miss you.”

Alpine F1 team part ways with executive director Marcin Budkowski

Marcin Budkowski has been tied with the team since his appointment in 2018 (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Marcin Budkowski has been tied with the team since his appointment in 2018 (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

The 2022 season is coming up featuring a lot of changes in the sport. The juggernaut of changes seems to have reached the boardroom at the Alpine team with the announcement of their executive director Marcin Budkowski leaving the team. The Polish engineer was appointed in 2018 to the team, which was then helmed by team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

Budkowski made it clear that he will keep a watch on the French team for the upcoming seasons, saying:

“I truly enjoyed being part of the leadership team of Renault then Alpine F1 Team, working with such a talented and dedicated group of people. I will be watching the team’s progress fondly in the seasons to come.”

Alpine sources say their CEO Laurent Rossi will 'temporarily' run the operation "to allow everyone to focus on next season’s preparations." Rossi currently attends the majority of races with the F1 team. Commenting on the move, Rossi said:

“I would like to thank Marcin Budkowski for his commitment and contribution to the team’s results over the last four years.”

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Edited by Anurag C