03 June 2024 , 18:36
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Alpine are in a complete mess at the moment.
A flurry of troubles over the past year, after hefty investments from high-profile celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds and his Hollywood buddy Rob McElhenney in 2023, has brought the F1 team to its knees. They've been grappling with a slew of woes - from dismal performances, squabbling within ranks, key staff exits to mechanical glitches all season long.
Now they're left frantically vying to steer clear of ending up as the constructor amassing the fewest points, with a meagre total of just two thus far this season.
Here, Mirror Sport runs through seven disasters that have befallen the team in the past year or so, starting with this week's news regarding long-term driver Esteban Ocon.
Ocon exit
The French racer's departure was made official on Monday morning, said to be a joint mutual decision by both Ocon and the team.
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It follows Ocon's highly-debated accident with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix (more on that later), which had team principal Bruno Famin cautioning "there would be consequences".
Having joined Alpine back in 2020 and clinching his first-ever Grand Prix victory under their banner in 2021, Ocon couldn't manage to keep the momentum going and scramble up the grid. Though the 27-year-old is yet to announce his next destination, sources indicate Haas as his most probable landing spot, reports the Express.
Alpine civil war
Alpine duo Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly do not get along ((Image: Getty))Ocon and Gasly have known each other since they were young and were once close pals, but a falling out a few years ago turned them into foes. The animosity between the pair only amplified when Gasly signed for Alpine in 2023. And last month, their bitter fallout cost the team heavily.
During the Monaco Grand Prix, Ocon and Gasly collided after the former raced aggressively on the inside of his team-mate's car, causing his rear tyre to clip Gasly's front one and send his vehicle soaring.
Following this incident, which resulted in Ocon bowing out for the rest of the race, Famin made his fury known. In frustration, he described Ocon's movement as an "attack". He noted: "It's sad to see this kind of incident. It's exactly what we don't want to see. Esteban's attack was totally out of circumstances."
Operations director sacked
Just days after the unforgettable Monaco Grand Prix, it surfaced that Rob White, the long-term operations director, had been dismissed.
White, who had a 20-year tenure with Alpine and played a pivotal role in Renault's World Championship triumphs with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006, was let go. This decision was taken with Alpine ranking ninth in the standings, having accrued only two points over the season's initial eight races.
Key resignations
Earlier in the year, Alpine lost two key members amidst the pre-season chaos. Technical director Matt Harman and the aerodynamics head Dirk de Beer handed in their resignations just before the launch of the team's new car, the A524, with both Ocon and Gasly reportedly unhappy with its design.
Their departures left the team with significant vacancies to fill right on the eve of the new season. Not long after, senior advisor Bob Bell decided to part ways with the team as well.
Esteban Ocon's Alpine flew into the air after making contact with Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix (Sky Sports)Overweight car
The Alpine F1 Team has been in a whirlwind trouble of late with the team performing abysmally for months, citing the main issue being their car's overweight feature. The Race reports that the A542 model of the vehicle was a whopping 11 kilograms above the 798kg minimum.
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After some horrendous lap times early this year, they resolved the quantifiable weight issue by April. However, overall, it still lags behind as one of the slowest in the circuit.
Sale rumours
Adding onto its mounting troubles, Alpine was forced to dismiss claims in recent weeks that the team had been put up for sale following an appalling start to the campaign. It was claimed that The Renault Group, the majority shareholder of the team, were unhappy with Alpine's recent performances and keen to cut them loose.
But in response, these allegations were stoutly dismissed. "The rumours and stories about the team being for sale are false," expressed an Alpine spokesperson to Planet F1. "The team is categorically not for sale."
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are two of a number of celebrities who invested in Alpine last year (MI News/NurPhoto)2023 sackings
And adding unceremoniously to the string of calamities in July 2023 saw the ousting of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, with chief technical officer Pat Fry also being given his marching orders. Laurent Rossi, CEO, was given the boot earlier in the year.
No stranger to controversy is former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan who lambasted the team, deeming them "absolutely embarrassing".
"They got rid of Otmar prematurely, it was a mistake," Jordan said during his recent appearance on the Formula For Success podcast. "He was a talented person who knew how to keep that team in the right direction. At the moment they are the most floundering team, it is absolutely embarrassing. I find it embarrassing to watch [Pierre] Gasly and [Esteban] Ocon who are capable of winning races."