General
Hope not yet lost at Alpine: 'Still believe in growth in F1'
- Cas van de Kleut
Alpine promised good things ahead of the 2022 season, when car rules would be changed. Meanwhile, the team lies fifth in the constructors' championship, and just before the summer break, many changes were made within the team. Luca de Meo, CEO of the Renault Group, tells Italian Corriere dello Sport that the French team was not going through the right trajectory at the time.
Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi was replaced by Philippe Krief in July, and it was also announced during the race weekend in Belgium that team boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Parmane would be sacked after the Spa-Francorchamps race.
According to De Meo, there was a good reason for this: "We didn't have the right trajectory, we lacked a clear analysis of the situation. I was promised things that didn't happen. It may sound brutal, but there are reasons behind it."
Still faith in Alpine project
Despite the setbacks, De Meo still has hope that the Alpine project will turn out well: "I believe a lot in Alpine's growth in Formula 1. To be able to dominate like Mercedes did, you have to keep working, be humble. We believe in it, we have the resources to do it."