History repeats itself: Alpine team boss steps down almost immediately

The unrest within the Alpine team continues. Halfway through the 2023 F1 season, Otmar Szafnauer had to leave as team principal at the French racing team. Now the same fate will befall Bruno Famin. The Frenchman acted as interim team principal in place of Szafnauer at the time.

An official statement came from the team: "BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Bruno Famin will move away from his current role as Team Principal of the F1 division by the end of August. Bruno will be in charge of all other Motorsport activities of the Renault Group at Viry-Chatillon. A new Team Principal will be announced in due course.”

Why Famin will leave his F1 role at Alpine

Around the time of the announcement, Famin was in the press conference in Spa-Francorchamps. The Frenchman actually confirmed it himself. "For the last year, I've been doubling my activities with the VP Motorsport role, where I am managing Viry Chatillon with all the Endurance, Dakar, Formula E projects we are managing there. And on top of that, acting as the managing director of Alpine F1 team. Considering the stake of the new project I was just mentioning about Viry, I think it will be much more useful for the company to dedicate my time, to concentrate my time to Viry activities, and all the other motorsport activities and to the transformation," said Famin.

Famin denies that the arrival of Flavio Briatore has anything to do with his departure. "I have no problem with Flavio after the little time we spent together. I absolutely have no issue, no problem, everybody knows him, he has his own way, he has his own goal. I have no problem, but I think it will be clearer on that side, if I step down from the team principal role of Alpine F1. I will step down from the team principal role by the end of August and be fully dedicated on the 1st of September," said the Alpine team principal.