Alpine F1 Chief Reveals Bleak Future For Team - 'The Situation We Have Is Not Ideal'

Alex Harrington | Aug 24, 2024

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; BWT Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon of France (31) drives during the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

As Alpine F1 ushers in an era under new leadership, the hard truths about its current challenges and future aspirations have come to light. With recent insights shared by the team's top brass Oliver Oakes, it's apparent Alpine has a steep hill to climb. "The situation we have is not ideal," he said via Motorsport.com as he seeks to plan the Enstone team's future.

Oakes has taken the reins at Alpine with obvious enthusiasm for its storied legacy, but he has a clear-eyed view of its recent mistakes.

"Enstone has something which money can't buy: it has a racing spirit, it has a history," asserted Oakes. Yet, he does not shy away from addressing the problems. "I dare say it's been mismanaged for quite a few years," he explained.

The former racing driver's strategy leans heavily on return to foundational principles of racing, a plea underscored by disillusionment with previous management's approach.

"We've done a lot of talking in the past. Bit frustrating, it's not my style," he remarked. Committed to action, he summed up the mission simply: "We need a better car, and we need to get everybody working together."

Flavio Briatore, an influential figure in motorsports who is now consulting for the French team, has been evaluating Alpine's operations. Known for his, let's say, dynamic strategies, he expects a drastic revitalization that will be essential for Alpine's survival on a very competitive grid.

"We need to be ready to beat this competition. But to beat this competition, we need [to be] working hard," says Briatore.

Despite the daunting road ahead, Oakes has tempered expectations with a dose of realism, wqith him gearing up for a long haul.

"We want to look for some podiums in 2027. The situation we have is not ideal," he said, setting a timeline that speaks to the formidable challenges Alpine faces. He expanded:

"I tell you the truth, F1 is very, very difficult in this moment, because the competition is very hard. We have six, seven teams very good for F1. So many teams have the possibility to win.

"We need to be ready to beat this competition. But to beat this competition, we need [to be] working hard. We need the right driver, the right team, the right technical director, the right manager. The right everything needs to be working."

This summary of Alpine's status not only lays bare the existing issues but also reiterates a meticulous, albeit slow, path toward revival centered on rebuilding from the ground up. I think it's fair to say that there's a lot of work to be done at Enstone.