Alpine Formula 1 boss Bruno Famin acknowledges that the team took inspiration from McLaren’s resurgence last year with its updated technical structure in three parts.
After a disastrous start to the season in Bahrain, where their cars qualified at the back of the grid, Alpine announced a series of organizational changes. Technical director Matt Harman and aerodynamics chief Dirk de Beer resigned, and the Enstone team adopted a new structure composed of three heads.
Responsibilities will be divided among Joe Burnell (engineering), Ciaron Pilbeam (performance), and David Wheather (aerodynamics), all reporting directly to Famin.
Alpine’s recent initiative to revitalize its troubled F1 operation bears similarities to the structure implemented by McLaren to reverse its performance decline last year. McLaren chose to abandon the model of a single technical director with the departure of James Key and adopted a new structure with Peter Prodromou (aerodynamics), Neil Houldey (engineering and design), and David Sanchez (car concept and performance), who joined the team from Ferrari earlier this year.
The Woking-based team has become a regular podium contender, and Famin confirmed that Alpine was watching McLaren’s turnaround.
“We definitely observed that,” Famin told Autosport. “It gave us an answer to the question of whether this could work, and it seems to be working.”
“I’m not saying this will solve everything, but we saw with McLaren that this kind of organization can drive progress. And that’s what we’re aiming for.”
“I believe that a highly hierarchical structure is less responsive and less suited to modern F1, where everything is so complex. You need everyone to move forward together in parallel, constantly exchanging information and communicating.”
However, Famin denied that Alpine’s weak start to the season, with an uncompetitive and overweight car, was the reason for the recent internal changes.
“The timing of the changes has nothing to do with the weekend performance,” he revealed.
“There is no connection between our performance and the departures of Matt and Dirk. The real issue is that we had been considering how to progress to the next stage of the Alpine project for some time. Even when it was Renault before, we experienced a cycle of progress and setbacks.”
“We were not generating the momentum of progress that we desire. So, we felt it was time to change our technical approach, and that is the real reason for the changes.”
Famin emphasized the importance of the changes reflecting “a signal” that the British-French brand is moving away from old traditions and embarking on a new era.
“When engaging in discussions with individuals, it is important to be aligned with our goals and how we plan to achieve them,” he noted.
“We had extensive discussions about various topics and the need for a shared understanding of our actions. By avoiding repetitions and introducing new perspectives, we can alter the final outcome.
“We must change our processes and personnel to convey the message that we are entering a new phase of the project.
“Establishing three distinct technical divisions focused on performance, engineering, and aerodynamics is our way of maximizing the potential of our team.
“This sends a clear message to all technical staff and individuals involved in car development, racing, simulation tools, and the simulator itself that we are all working together towards a common goal.”
Famin, who took over Otmar Szafnauer’s position last season, acknowledges his desire for consistent improvement rather than sporadic peaks in performance from one season to another.
“The dynamic I am referring to is our goal of progressing constantly from one year to the next,” he said. “We understand that there will be ups and downs in Formula 1.
“I am talking about a long-term approach, where we gradually close the gap to the leading teams, with the ultimate goal of being able to compete for wins.
“We do not want to finish fourth in the championship one year and drop to sixth the next. Our goal is to develop a team capable of consistently challenging for a position among the top three.”
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An exciting football match marked the weekend at the National Stadium. Fans packed the stands to watch the showdown between the home team and the visitors. With a tight score, the game was full of thrilling moments and incredible plays.
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