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Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin Steps Down, May Switch to Purchased EnginesAlpine Team Principal Bruno Famin Steps Down, May Switch to Purchased Engines At the Belgian Grand Prix, Alpine announced that its team principal, Bruno Famin, will step down at the end of August. A replacement will be announced soon, and Famin will fully focus on his role as vice-president motorsport of the Renault Group. Engine Dilemma Alpine faces a significant decision regarding its future engines. Famin revealed that the team is considering discontinuing the production of its own Renault engines in 2026 and instead purchasing them externally. This move could impact Renault’s reputation as a former engine supplier to other teams. New Strategy Famin explained that shifting away from engine production would allow Alpine to allocate resources to the development of new technologies for its sports car brand, with the Formula 1 car serving as its flagship. Personnel Changes Famin’s departure adds to recent personnel changes within Alpine. Former team boss Flavio Briatore controversially returned in an advisory role last month. Famin denied any connection between his decision to step down and Briatore’s involvement. Struggling Team Alpine currently sits eighth in the constructors’ championship with only nine points, indicating the team’s struggles. Ocon’s race victory in 2021 remains the team’s only success since rebranding from Renault. Alpine still needs to secure a partner for Gasly for 2025.

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Struggling Formula 1 team Alpine is changing team bosses mid-season and may also ditch its home-made Renault engines in 2026.

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin will step down “at the end of August” and his replacement will be announced “in due course,” the team said Friday. He will take charge at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, before the season goes into a summer break until the Dutch GP on August 25.

Famin will then fully focus on his other position: Vice-president motorsport of the Renault Group at the engine factory in Viry-Chatillon.

“I will step down as team boss at the end of August and will devote myself entirely to the activities in Viry-Châtillon from September 1st,” said Famin at the Spa circuit.

Alpine is eighth in the ten-team constructors’ championship, with only nine points scored by drivers Pierre Gasly (6) and Esteban Ocon (3).

Ocon is the only driver to have won a race for Alpine since the brand switched from Renault at the end of 2020. He will join Haas next season. The team still has to find a new partner for Gasly for 2025.

Also a Renault engine?

Alpine is facing a potentially bigger change regarding its future.

Famin said Alpine is considering stopping the production of its own Renault engines in 2026 and buying its own engines, but added that such a move is not yet final.

That could be a blow to the reputation of Renault, which used to sell engines to other teams, including Red Bull title winners.

Famin said the shift would be part of a strategy “to dedicate those resources and skills to the development of new technologies” for Alpine, Renault’s sports car brand, of which the Formula 1 car is the flagship.

“Given the stakes of the new project I just mentioned about Viry, I think it will be much more useful for the company to spend my time, to focus my time on Viry’s activities,” Famin said.

Famin’s departure follows other personnel changes, including the controversial return of former team boss Flavio Briatore in an advisory role last month.

Briatore left Formula One after being found guilty of ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash his car to help teammate Fernando Alonso win the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. He was initially given a lifetime ban by the governing body FIA, but he successfully overturned the punishment in a French court.

Famin said his role change has nothing to do with Briatore’s return.

AP Auto Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing