Tag: alpine

Famin’s key to getting more out of Alpine: ‘Align the planets’

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin believes there is much more potential within the employees at both Enstone and Viry-Chatillon that can be tapped into by improving the way they’re asked to work together. Famin took over on an interim basis …

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin believes there is much more potential within the employees at both Enstone and Viry-Chatillon that can be tapped into by improving the way they’re asked to work together.

Famin took over on an interim basis following the departure of Otmar Szafnauer in July, but recently stated he would not be replacing himself in the team principal position unless told to by his superiors. Since stepping into the role, Famin has done some internal reshuffling that he says has started to pay off, but added that he sees the interaction between the two Alpine factories — one in the UK and one in France — as an area that can lead to stronger results. 

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“What is sure now is that, to be performant and with such level of competition, you need to use the potential of everybody,” Famin said. “And you need to align the planets. We need to be good in extracting the performance of the car, we need to be good in developing the car and developing the engine.

“Even if [you say] we don’t have the best engine, maybe we don’t have the best car, I think we can align the planets to have a very good car at the end of the story and have good results. Of course it won’t be tomorrow, but the work now is to align the planets. Of course there is the potential of improvement between Viry and Enstone. To me, it’s a small part of the project of the work we need to do.

“What we need to do is make sure that our people are working well together, and we can extract the best of everyone. And whatever the nationality, whatever the place the person works, let’s push altogether and let’s free the energy and creativity of everybody. In terms of techniques, but in terms of processes as well. That’s really, this momentum we’re having trackside, to bring it to the factories.”

Given the complexity of running an organization with a power unit department in a different country from the rest of the team, Famin admitted it will be a gradual process to improve the way Alpine operates.

“I have no idea how long it will take,” he said. “I don’t want to fix a target which will not be matched. The objective for next year, for this winter and for next year, will be to develop that attitude, that mindset, changing the culture.

“Again, it’s not Viry against Enstone, it’s the whole thing altogether, and to continue and to develop the momentum in order to make a better team, a better company, and to be able to develop a better car, and then the result will come.

“How long it will take? I have no clue. The sooner will be the best of course, and I will do my best with all my colleagues to develop that on both Viry and Enstone sides.”

WEC stint might help Schumacher return to F1 – Wolff

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes a stint in the World Endurance Championship might help Mick Schumacher return to a Formula 1 race seat in future. Schumacher (pictured at right, above, with Wolff and Mercedes driver development director …

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes a stint in the World Endurance Championship might help Mick Schumacher return to a Formula 1 race seat in future.

Schumacher (pictured at right, above, with Wolff and Mercedes driver development director Jerome d’Ambrosio) was dropped by Haas after two seasons with the team in 2021 and ’22, taking on a role as Mercedes reserve driver last year. With no movement in the F1 driver market this winter, Schumacher has secured a race seat with Alpine as it enters a Hypercar in the WEC, and Wolff thinks it could be beneficial to any future F1 hopes for the German.

“Mick is a good driver and deserves to be in F1,” Wolff said. “Sadly, there isn’t any place free at present. Mick going into WEC, which is a world championship with a constructor like Alpine, is a very good opportunity for him. I believe he’s going to do a perfect job and it keeps him sharp racing and possibly help him come back into Formula 1.”

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While Schumacher admits it has been frustrating being on the sidelines this year, he will now get to race alongside his Mercedes role and he says he’s keen to further his development as the team looks to return to competitiveness.

Mick’s father Michael Schumacher first emerged as a star with the Sauber Mercedes sports car team before advancing to F1. Motorsport Images

“As a team, we win and lose together and when things are difficult, you definitely feel that,” Schumacher said. “All I want to do is help the team to success and we all worked very hard to try and get the car back up to speed. Especially now with the W15 already in the works, we all are 100% focused on trying to have a successful 2024.

“It’s a great opportunity to stay with the team for next year as the reserve driver and keep on learning, keep building on what we’ve achieved this year. I think we’re all very keen to get started and on track with the W15, so it will be very nice to be part of that process.

“I can also continue to build on all the relationships with the team. It’s been good to spend so much time with everyone and get to know also, the people who have been here when my dad was. It’s a very special team and a very special bond that they have.”

Fry says lack of drive at Alpine prompted his move to Williams

New Williams chief technical officer Pat Fry says a lack of drive to move Alpine any further than fourth place led to his decision to leave and join forces with James Vowles. Vowles took over as Williams team principal ahead of the 2023 season and …

New Williams chief technical officer Pat Fry says a lack of drive to move Alpine any further than fourth place led to his decision to leave and join forces with James Vowles.

Vowles took over as Williams team principal ahead of the 2023 season and needed to find a chief technical officer and technical director as part of a rebuilding of the team at Grove. Fry was at Alpine at the time, and the experienced engineer said he was enjoying the progress being made at his former team, but felt the momentum to push on further had slowed and he didn’t see the commitment to keep working its way to the front.

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“I look back at the first three years I was there, and we improved Enstone dramatically,” Fry said. “Year on year, we built a better car — if you put the three cars next to each other, each one was a massive step. Credit for everyone there; the various teams were collaborating a huge amount better. I think everyone there should be proud of what we achieved in those three years.

“I guess I’d gone back there with that, ‘Go back to the place you started your career and try and rebuild it’ and I think we did really well. From a distant fifth, were a solid fourth.

“But I didn’t feel there was the enthusiasm or the drive to move forward beyond fourth. And I decided that from the start of March that really I want to be pushing things forward. I don’t just want to sit there and not be able to do things. So for me, that was time to stop and move on, really.

“So it’s one of those things — I think as a company they almost weren’t set up to push hard enough. You can say you want to be first, but the difference between saying it and achieving it is monumental, isn’t it?”

Fry said the investment and backing from Williams owners Dorilton Capital is what that made the move so attractive when he compared the two options he had, having started work at his new team in November.

“James had been talking to me for a little while, and it wasn’t until another couple of months after that, that I decided to come here,” he said. “But I guess the thing that excites me about this opportunity is the board is fully on board with what it’s going to take to move this place forward. They’re willing to invest what it takes and support us in building a team.

“And again, it’s a nice thing isn’t it, to rebuild an old British icon. It’s a bit like my romantic view of going back to Benetton to rebuild them, really. So it’s another exciting prospect. But as I say, James is pushing hard to try and improve this place. The board is fully behind him, moving the place forward, and that’s the thing that excites me. We’re not going to be limited in what we can achieve. We’re just going to do the best we can in the time and move things forward.”

Schumacher joins Alpine WEC team, keeps Mercedes F1 reserve role

Mick Schumacher will return to racing in 2024 with Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship, while retaining his position as Mercedes reserve driver. The German was replaced at Haas by Nico Hulkenberg ahead of this season and joined Mercedes – …

Mick Schumacher will return to racing in 2024 with Alpine in the FIA World Endurance Championship, while retaining his position as Mercedes reserve driver.

The German was replaced at Haas by Nico Hulkenberg ahead of this season and joined Mercedes — a team his father Michael used to race for — in a reserve role. That’s meant he hasn’t raced this year but has been testing Alpine’s A424 Hypercar and has been confirmed as one of the six drivers that will be part of its 2024 lineup in WEC.

“A new chapter is beginning for me with Alpine in the FIA WEC Hypercar category,” Schumacher said. “The car is impressive, and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve grown up with single-seaters, so driving a car with a closed cockpit and covered wheels is a great opportunity to hone my driving skills.

“I sorely missed racing this year; it’s what I’ve loved to do since I was a kid, and it was sometimes difficult to watch the other drivers take to the track. Endurance racing is a new challenge for me, and I’m sure we will share great moments together next year with Alpine.”

Schumacher will race alongside Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Charles Milesi, Paul-Loup Chatin and Ferdinand Habsburg across the two Alpine entries (click here for separate story).

Alongside those race duties, Mercedes has confirmed it will still lean on Schumacher as a reserve option whenever the two calendars do not clash.

“Delighted to confirm that Mick Schumacher will retain his reserve driver role with the team for 2024,” Mercedes confirmed. “We’re excited to see Mick continue to contribute to our team alongside his new challenge in WEC next season.”

Alpine completes WEC lineup

French manufacturer Alpine has confirmed the six drivers that will compete in its pair of A424 LMDh prototypes in the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class next year. Alongside former Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher ( click here for separate story), Alpine has …

French manufacturer Alpine has confirmed the six drivers that will compete in its pair of A424 LMDh prototypes in the FIA WEC’s Hypercar class next year.

Alongside former Haas F1 driver Mick Schumacher (click here for separate story), Alpine has employed a quartet of French drivers for the program, with Matthieu Vaxiviere, Nicolas Lapierre, Charles Milesi and Paul Loup Chatin. The final name is Ferdinand Habsburg, the Austrian moving to the team after spending the 2023 WEC season competing against it in LMP2 with WRT.

Like Schumacher, Habsburg is a new face at Alpine and says is thrilled to take on the challenge of racing in the WEC’s top class.

“It’s a step up from anything I’ve experienced in my motor racing career,” he said. “From the day I signed with Alpine, I realized that my childhood dream had come true.

“I immediately felt part of the team at Motorland, although the pressure was palpable for me. Beginning with an endurance format during testing can be difficult to get used to a new environment, but I immediately felt confident. I can’t wait to see what the 2024 season has in store for us, and I’ll give it my all so as not to betray their confidence.”

Chatin, meanwhile, returns to Alpine having won the 2014 ELMS LMP2 title with the Signatech Alpine and claiming a third-place finish in class at Le Mans during that season. Since then he’s become an ELMS LMP2 stalwart with French outfit IDEC Sport, the high point being a title win in 2019. He also won the 2024 IMSA LMP2 championship with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

“I am so pleased to rejoin Alpine in Hypercar for the 2024 season,” he said. “I started my endurance career with Signatech Alpine in 2014, and it’s a team I’ve always followed.

“As a Frenchman, representing a French manufacturer at the highest level of world motorsport is a privilege, especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the biggest motor race in the world. It’s why I get up every morning. I sincerely thank the Alpine team for giving me this opportunity, and I can’t wait for the season to begin.”

The inclusion of Lapierre, Milesi and Vaxiviere feels natural, the trio joining as full-time drivers after playing key roles in the car’s testing to this point.

For Lapierre, his longstanding relationship with the French brand continues with this announcement. His record with Alpine includes three memorable Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 class wins and two WEC titles.

“It’s an ambitious project, and I was quite proud when offered the chance to develop the car,” Lapierre said. “I’m particularly fond of the team. We have enjoyed success, and to return to the Hypercar program is a superb opportunity. We’re facing a new era in endurance racing, with a field more competitive than ever. And to continue to contribute to Alpine’s history and go head-to-head with some of the biggest names in motor racing is exciting.

“We will represent ‘Les Bleus’ and can’t wait to see the fans at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the other races in the championship.”

Alpine has not yet announced how it will divide the six drivers across its two cars. It will reveal that and the livery for the A424 in its debut season at a launch event for the program on February 7.

Alpine completes first 30-hour endurance test

Alpine’s A424 LMDh prototype has completed 5,000 kilometers of running at its first 30-hour endurance test at Motorland Aragon in Spain. The test adds to the car’s previous tests across Europe at Aragon, Paul Ricard and Jerez since mid-August ahead …

Alpine’s A424 LMDh prototype has completed 5,000 kilometers of running at its first 30-hour endurance test at Motorland Aragon in Spain.

The test adds to the car’s previous tests across Europe at Aragon, Paul Ricard and Jerez since mid-August ahead of its 2024 FIA WEC debut in the Hypercar class.

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Ahead of the test, the team targeted 5,400 kilometers of running, but various issues limited the car to 5,027 kilometers, a total that the French brand is still encouraged by.

“Frankly, the team is delighted to have achieved this mileage in our first endurance test,” Bruno Famin, the vice president of Alpine Motorsports said.

“It is a satisfaction that rewards the hard work of everyone. The main aim of the session was to test reliability by looking for weak points.

“We found several of them, which we will now have to address. And quickly as time is running out: there are 100 days until the start of the season in Qatar and we still have a huge amount to do, both in terms of reliability and even more so in terms of performance

“We now need to analyze the data and learn everything we can from this session to make the most of the next one, which will be in Portimao in mid-December, to keep improving the car.”

The aforementioned issues that Alpine reported included a puncture, a turbo issue, oil and water leaks and an electrical problem. Thus, Philippe Sinault, the Alpine endurance team manager acknowledges that there is still work to be done on the car before its race debut.

“We were keen to conduct this initial endurance session for the A424 in conditions as close as possible to what we would experience in a race,” he said. “We simulated a full series of race sequences, including the start, safety car and FCY, which enabled everyone – drivers, mechanics and engineers – to acquire the operating modes and make them automatic.

“This type of session is crucial for the car and all the members of the team who have to find their bearings. We’re entering the active learning phase. We know there’s still a lot to learn when we get to Qatar at the end of February, but we’re doing everything we can to be as ready as possible.”

In addition to putting the car’s durability to the test, Alpine also utilised the time to work on the car’s general set-up and complete valuable mileage on Michelin’s tyres in the cold conditions trackside.

Alongside the test, a second A424 chassis was in use for the first stage of the car’s homologation process, on-site in North Carolina for the IMSA official tests at the Windshear wind tunnel.

Alpine confirms Doohan FP1 outings in Mexico, Abu Dhabi

Jack Doohan will drive for Alpine in FP1 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the season final in Abu Dhabi as part of the team’s mandatory rookie outings. The Alpine reserve driver took part in FP1s at the same two venues last year and will …

Jack Doohan will drive for Alpine in FP1 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the season final in Abu Dhabi as part of the team’s mandatory rookie outings.

The Alpine reserve driver took part in FP1s at the same two venues last year and will continue his development this year. Doohan is currently fourth in the Formula 2 championship and has a chance of finishing as runner-up with one round remaining, but has been preparing for F1 outings with a testing program alongside his F2 duties.

“It is a huge honor to be given the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car on a grand prix weekend for the second year in a row,” Doohan said. “I am very grateful to BWT Alpine F1 Team for the chance to drive the A523 in Free Practice in both Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

“I have been working really hard with the team this year as their reserve driver, taking every opportunity to learn as much as possible for them and I feel prepared to step up and take over driving duties for the team. My sole focus is doing what is required of me by the team in order to contribute positively to the team’s outcome across the two grand prix weekends.”

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Interim team principal Bruno Famin says Doohan has impressed with his approach whenever he has had a chance to work with the F1 team, even if his own focus is on his final races of the season.

“It is great to announce that Jack will be taking over driving duties in Mexico and Abu Dhabi for the two Free Practice 1 sessions,” Famin said. “Jack has worked hard over the course of the year as BWT Alpine F1 Team’s reserve driver and his attitude to learn the ropes in that role has been very pleasing to see.

“His main priority remains finishing his Formula 2 campaign in the best possible way in Abu Dhabi, however, we look forward to supporting him in the two Free Practice sessions and having his contribution to the team’s performance.”

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly spotted wearing Patrick Mahomes jersey

F1 driver Pierre Gasly was spotted donning a Patrick Mahomes jersey after the quarterback’s investment in the Alpine racing team this week.

Patrick Mahomes has made serious investments in the sports world since signing his massive second contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, and his latest endeavor put him on the world stage in a major way.

The reigning MVP and tight end Travis Kelce both put money into the Alpine Formula 1 team this week, which was met with both surprise and intrigue around the motorsports and football communities.

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly was spotted wearing a white Mahomes jersey on Wednesday in a picture posted to Twitter, marking a new era for the racing team as it prepares for the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas this weekend.

Formula 1 is a global sport that holds races around the world, and Gasly’s eagerness to don a Mahomes jersey is sure to introduce the quarterback to fans on every continent who weren’t already aware of his accomplishments and success in the NFL.

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Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce purchase interest in Formula 1 team Alpine

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce made their latest investments in the sports world on Tuesday, purchasing interests in the F1 team Alpine.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has shown serious interest in the wide world of sports since earning one of the largest contracts in NFL history and made his latest investment in the space on Tuesday.

Along with All-Pro teammate Travis Kelce, the reigning MVP purchased a stake in the Alpine Formula 1 team, which is sure to send shockwaves through the highest levels of the motorsports community.

“It’s an exciting time for the sport and this is an opportunity to bring our shared values to the world stage,” Mahomes was quoted in the team’s statement. “I’m looking forward to being a part of its growth.”

While Alpine may not be the most successful team in the history of Formula 1, it is one of the newer organizations in the sport. But, with the help of Mahomes and Kelce, among others, as financial backers, the organization may be able to compete for podiums sooner than some might expect.

Sports stars attach to Alpine F1 Team investment firm

Patrick Mahomes, Rory McIlroy and more have joined forces with Otro Capital to invest in Alpine’s Formula 1 team.

Some of sports’ biggest stars worldwide are banding together to invest in a Formula 1 team.

Earlier in the year, investment firm Otro Capital announced it would contribute a 200 million-euro investment fund to F1’s Alpine F1 Team. That fund was previously backed partially by actor and Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds, and now, multiple sports celebrities have joined the investment fund and attached their names to the team.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, golfer Rory McIlroy, former Heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua, Liverpool and England national team player Trent Alexander-Arnold and former Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata were among the sportsmen joining up with the project.

As it stands, Alpine is currently sixth in the 2023 constructors standings with 90 points. The investment may be sorely needed, as Alpine — formerly Renault — haven’t won a Formula 1 World Constructors Championship title since 2006.

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