Alpine confirms departure of Formula 1 Chief Operating Officer
Alpine has confirmed that their long-time Formula 1 Chief Operating Officer, Rob White, has left his position as part of the significant changes within the team in recent times.
White had been with Alpine’s parent company, Renault, since 2004 and had held his current position since the French manufacturer returned to F1 full-time in 2016.
During his time as Deputy Managing Director in the engine division in Viry-Chatillon, White played a key role in Renault’s consecutive championship wins with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.
However, Alpine team principal Bruno Famin decided to remove White from his position, informing his colleagues at the team base in Enstone on Wednesday.
“As part of the broader operational restructuring of the team, we can confirm that Rob White has departed,” an Alpine spokesperson stated.
“We appreciate Rob’s contributions throughout his extensive career in Enstone and Viry-Chatillon, where he led the engine project that secured the championships in 2005 and 2006.
“We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
White is the latest in a series of departures from Alpine, with the ex-team principal Otmar Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane leaving last summer.
The team’s challenging start to the current season also saw Technical Director Matt Harman and Aerodynamics Chief Dirk de Beer resign.
In addition, veteran designer Bob Bell, who had successful stints at McLaren and Mercedes, chose to depart and join Aston Martin.
Alpine recently announced a three-pronged technical agreement, likened to the strategy that rejuvenated McLaren’s fortunes last season.
The Renault ownership team bolstered their squad earlier this month with the appointment of former Ferrari and McLaren engineer, David Sanchez, as Executive Technical Director.
Famin praised the positive impact Sanchez has had since joining Alpine, as they strive to improve their disappointing start to the 2024 season, which has yielded only two points.
