Following a challenging start to the new season, Alpine has undergone significant changes in its technical leadership, resulting in the departure of two key members from the team.
Technical director Matt Harman, who recently introduced the team’s new A524 chassis, and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer have both left Alpine.
In response to the team’s poor performance, Alpine has restructured its technical division with the introduction of a new trio of directors. Joe Burnell will oversee engineering, David Wheater will lead aerodynamics, and Ciaron Pilbeam will focus on performance. These directors will report directly to team principal Bruno Famin.
Alpine’s disappointing performance was evident during the season opener in Bahrain, where both of the team’s cars qualified at the back of the grid. Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished the race in 17th and 18th positions, respectively.
Famin emphasized the need for organizational changes to enhance the team’s competitiveness. He expressed confidence in the abilities of the new technical directors to collaborate effectively and deliver the necessary performance improvements.
The departure of Harman and De Beer adds to a series of staff changes at Alpine over the past year. Moreover, these changes include Famin’s appointment as team principal, the departure of sporting director Alan Permane, and the exits of Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry and racing director Davide Brivio.
Alpine’s decision to revamp its technical team follows a period of disappointing results in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, with the team slipping from fourth place in 2022 to sixth place in 2023. Additionally, the team has acknowledged that it has failed to meet several key targets in its quest to compete at the front of the grid.
