FLOYD ON F1: Impatience sees Alpine go off the rails

After watching Max Verstappen deliver yet another master class with the RB19B at my all-time favourite track and Sergio Perez completing a team 1-2 finish at the Belgian Grand Prix, my attention turned to Alpine. What the hell is going on at the French F1 team?

Just a few weeks ago it was Alpine’s CEO Laurent Rossi who was shifted to one of those mysterious company divisions called “special projects”. Rossi was immediately replaced by Bruno Famin, the former MD of the company’s facility in Viry-Châtillon, the source of all Alpine’s high-performance F1 powertrains.

Having now also become the team’s interim team principal, Famin informed the media of the mutual agreement to part with Otmar Szafnauer and Alan Permane. Permane was the sporting director with over 30 years service with the team. I have no inside information, but am not so sure about the “mutual” aspect of this split.

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Man with an F1 plan

Certainly a remark from Szafnauer would seem to indicate a different point of view. The 58-year-old joined Alpine 18 months back with a 100-race F1 plan. He was tasked with taking the team to the top. Lately he was busy signing new staff to bolster the challenge, many still contracted to other teams for the current season. But future staff members that could well assist in changing the fortunes of the French outfit.

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But it appears management could not wait. After 34 races, they curtly ousted the two main players. The remark from the ex-team principal says a lot about the mutual agreement. Szafnauer was quoted as saying: “You can’t get nine women pregnant and hope you have a baby in a month”.

I believe it’s a perfectly succinct summary of the situation.

Power struggle

It is also interesting to note the FIA recently confirmed the Alpine’s power unit developed less power than the competition, Famin claimed the engine is not so far down. But let’s face it, any item which is below the opposition in F1 is a disadvantage and limits the car’s performance. Interesting when you read my second paragraph regarding Famin’s former position at Alpine. One to think about…

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There was an interesting comment from Mercedes driver George Russell last weekend. One I am sure was said in jest.

“So exciting if Max Verstappen and Red Bull weren’t here,” Russell was quoted.

Perhaps it would have been a lot more exciting between 2014 and 2021 during the Ringed Star era. No further comment is required!

After a four-week break, the F1 season resumes at the Dutch Grand Prix on 27 August.