The pieces of the puzzle regarding the future organizational structure of Alpine are coming together. During the Belgian Grand Prix, the French team, which has had an extremely disappointing season so far, said goodbye to three key figures who have worked in Formula 1 for decades: Otmar Szafnauer, Pat Fry, and Alan Permane. The timing of the decision left many puzzled; however, the top executives of Renault clearly wanted to implement a significant discontinuity from a management that has not produced significant results, apart from Esteban Ocon’s fortunate victory in Hungary in 2021.
At the same time, rumors of the hiring of Mattia Binotto, the former team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, have been growing. Binotto’s recent presence in the paddock has fueled speculations about his imminent return to the circus during the period of “gardening leave.” This gardening period was imposed because, in the last years of his experience with the Maranello team, Mattia Binotto held both the role of team principal and the title of technical director of the Ferrari Formula One team.
Now it remains to be seen what role the Italian-Swiss executive will assume within the French team. It is likely that he will be given the responsibility to reorganize the team’s organizational structure, a typical task assigned to team principals. If Mattia Binotto were to take on the role of head of the Formula 1 program at Alpine, he would face a challenging task.
The French team has been navigating in the midfield of the top motorsport category for years, with few highlights and many disappointments. Otmar Szafnauer’s management will not be remembered in the annals. Recently, Fernando Alonso’s resentment towards the American manager has certainly not gone unnoticed: “After this year, he should stay quiet and not talk at all. I find it strange that he is proud of his team’s performance,” said the Oviedo driver.
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Last December, Mattia Binotto and Fred Vassuer worked closely together during the rapid handover process leading to the official appointment of the French manager as the new team principal of the Prancing Horse. Soon, Frederic and Mattia could find themselves at the head of teams that not only represent the history of the category (Alpine is, in fact, Renault) but also true national symbols in the world of motorsport. While the passion exerted by Cavallino Rampante in the world and in Italy is unparalleled, as stated by Luca De Meo, CEO of Renault, Alpine in F1 will become the French equivalent of Ferrari: “The French do not have a symbol to support like Ferrari is for Italy, and despite the Renault group being in F1 for over 40 years, France cannot get passionate about this sport.”
Mattia Binotto’s desire for revenge will be a tremendous incentive in the growth project of the French team, as well as a benchmark for Frederic Vassuer’s work. Currently, Alpine is facing a significant technological delay in terms of power units, which has led the FIA to consider solutions that can guarantee a performance recovery of the power unit, despite the freezing of engine developments since September 1 of last year. If the French team manages to bridge the gap with Ferrari, Fred Vassuer’s position could become quite precarious. It’s a challenging task but not impossible.
It’s essential to remember that the historic headquarters of the French-flagged team is in Enstone, England, at the heart of the district with the highest presence of Formula 1 teams. This geographical location greatly facilitates the insourcing of skilled technicians from other teams, as evidenced by the difficulties faced by Scuderia Ferrari in convincing engineers from the competition to embrace not only a new sports project but also a lifestyle choice. Time will, as always, be the judge and will help understand if Mattia Binotto’s mandate at Ferrari ended prematurely or as part of a natural cycle.
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