Bruno Famin, Vice President of Alpine Motorsports and Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team, was spotted alongside Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin F1 Team during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, stage 2 of the Formula 1 World Championship, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Preparation Day on March 6, 2024.
Fernando Alonso expressed his continued admiration for the Alpine Formula 1 team and hopes for a quick improvement in their recent struggles, which he finds surprising. Alonso had three separate stints with the Enstone-based team throughout his successful F1 career, including consecutive title wins in 2005 and 2006.
After the team was renamed as Alpine in 2021, Alonso returned to F1 with them but eventually moved to Aston Martin when contract negotiations stalled. In the first season under the current aerodynamic regulations in 2022, Alonso and Alpine finished fourth in the championship. However, they dropped to sixth place in the following season.
The current season has been even more challenging for the Anglo-French team as they sit in last place in the standings after the first two stages, with a completely revamped car. Since leaving Alpine, Alonso has been critical of the team’s current management, attributing his decision to join Aston Martin to a perceived lack of professionalism within Alpine.
Despite his criticisms, Alonso avoids directly attacking his former team and emphasizes his emotional connection to Alpine due to the shared history and success during his championship-winning period. He fondly recalls the great moments he had with the team and expresses his hope that they can find more performance and overcome their current difficulties.
The former Formula 1 champion suggested that the series of management changes that have occurred since he left contributed to Alpine’s decline in recent times.
Alpine decided to part ways with former Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane last year, while Laurent Rossi was reassigned from his CEO position.
In addition, Technical Director Matt Harman and Chief Aerodynamicist Dirk de Beer resigned, leading Alpine to implement a new three-front technical setup.
When asked if he was surprised by Alpine’s fall, Alonso replied: “It’s hard to comment from an external perspective. It’s a team I have a lot of affection for, a team that gave me many good things in my career. So, I hope they can improve.”
“When I was there, the team was different. There was a great atmosphere and we had good performances, especially in 2022. We were consistently among the top five or six in every race. So, it’s a bit surprising to see their current results. But I hope they can sort things out quickly.”
While Alpine has been struggling, Alonso has taken advantage of Aston Martin’s impressive rise to become one of the leaders and secured eight podiums last season.
