(Motorsports news) Following last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane resigned by mutual accord when Laurent Rossi was appointed Alpine CEO. Since chief technical officer Pat Fry also relocated to Williams, the senior-level organization at Enstone has been the center of attention. The team also needs a clearly defined talismanic lead driver, according to Abiteboul, who managed the team under its old Renault name until a 2021 revamp.
The manager of the current Hyundai World Rally team told France Info that Max Verstappen taking over at Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes should serve as models for Alpine. Two names is one too many, he remarked of current drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. “Even though Nico Rosberg accomplished some incredible feats, Lewis Hamilton comes to mind when you close your eyes and think of Mercedes. When you think about Red Bull, you probably see the inaugural race centered on Sebastian Vettel. Next came the second lap with Max Verstappen.
“This ability of personification is crucial, and you need a driver who is also a little bit of a team boss. The field is currently extremely competitive, with every vehicle finishing on the same lap. There will eventually be a level playing field. Ambition and tenacity are what will differentiate. Prior to pairing the Australian driver with teammate Ocon for 2020, the team partnered Nico Hulkenberg with Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and Abiteboul.
The current turmoil at Alpine and the lack of a leader, according to Abiteboul, put the squad’s “team spirit and culture” at jeopardy. These components were already lacking. Every modification, he asserted, may jeopardize the culture and teamwork. These two elements in particular are missing from Alpine.
“The resources, investments, group aspirations, business strategy with the Alpine brand—all of it is there. When a team is equipped with everything, it still needs something to elevate it and someone to motivate it. “The power of a person who can unite a thousand people is very unifying.”
Also read: Hugo Boss and Red Bull are negotiating to sponsor the AlphaTauri F1 team’s titles
