[Team] Alpine: The cars are Racing Points

[Tourer]

Hot on the heels of handing over direct management of the F1 team to Bruno Famin, Rossi has now left the Alpine building completely.

Maybe that weird rant about the team has lead to doubts about his capacity generally?

[S griffin]

Yes, he had built a good team up, but has seemed to have lost credibility lately. First with the whole Piastri situation last year, and earlier this year having a go at his own team. No wonder he's being moved aside. They obviously feel he's not being constructive with help towards his own team

[GTRMagic]

So... who's to blame for the demolition derby display this weekend in Hungary?
Surely there will need to be a scapegoat..

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So... who's to blame for the demolition derby display this weekend in Hungary?
Surely there will need to be a scapegoat..

Nik DeVries

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So... who's to blame for the demolition derby display this weekend in Hungary?
Surely there will need to be a scapegoat..

That's got to be Zhou Guanyu, who punted Danny Ric from behind, which triggered a chain reaction that took out both Alpines.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That's got to be Zhou Guanyu, who punted Danny Ric from behind, which triggered a chain reaction that took out both Alpines.

Regardless of the blame, it's still Alpine +0pts, McLaren +28pts.

Alpine's new floor at Spa will need to bring Alpine into podium contention like McLaren if Alpine intend to have any chance to meet their goal of P4 in the WCC (they will also need to overhaul either Ferrari or Aston Martin to get there).

We have to get one step closer to our goal of winning a championship in 100 races. We have to continue [in fourth place], but get closer to third place. So we have to be closer to third place than fifth. So even if we stay fourth, we have to make progress.

- Szafnauer
https://www.planetf1.com/news/alpine...-championship/

Alpine currently is in the sixth place...

Although:

And our goal now is to make sure that even if we don’t end up in fourth at the end, because of the points disparity, that we can be the fourth-fastest team.

- Szafnauer
https://www.racefans.net/2023/07/22/...xth-in-points/

What's wrong with Szafnauer? Doesn't he see, as per McLaren or Aston Martin, that you need to be the second fastest team (at times) to score enough points to finish top 5 in the WCC?! This "new goal" seems like a cop out...

Scoring at a rate of 28-30pts per Grand Prix like McLaren will easily propel Alpine into the top four in the WCC. That's all Alpine need to do. "How hard can it be?"

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That's got to be Zhou Guanyu, who punted Danny Ric from behind, which triggered a chain reaction that took out both Alpines.

Indeed.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Indeed.

Don't Grand Prix teams make their own luck? Qualifying at the front like rival McLaren's P3-P4 start usually (but not always) reduces risk of incident. That's all Alpine need to do consistently.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

That's all Alpine need to do consistently.

a growing theme from me after this past race apparently lol (there were a few moments of team mates finding themselves running in order this past race and none of the teams seemed to handle that situation well)...but i think regardless of where their drivers end up qualifying they are too evenly matched, probably not great co workers with one another, and will ultimately spend too much of their time trying to beat the other one rather than trying to collectively move their team up the grid.

a team without a leader imo!

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Don't Grand Prix teams make their own luck? Qualifying at the front like rival McLaren's P3-P4 start usually (but not always) reduces risk of incident. That's all Alpine need to do consistently.

Exactly. Do a better job on track and it's less likely they'd be in a position for what happened on Sunday to happen.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

What's wrong with Szafnauer? Doesn't he see, as per McLaren or Aston Martin, that you need to be the second fastest team (at times) to score enough points to finish top 5 in the WCC?! This "new goal" seems like a cop out...

Scoring at a rate of 28-30pts per Grand Prix like McLaren will easily propel Alpine into the top four in the WCC. That's all Alpine need to do. "How hard can it be?"

From my perspective Alpine's priority is to stop the DNFs and score some points so that my fantasy team can drag itself out of the trash can.

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Don't Grand Prix teams make their own luck? Qualifying at the front like rival McLaren's P3-P4 start usually (but not always) reduces risk of incident. That's all Alpine need to do consistently.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but while watching the race this weekend and seeing the first corner issues for Alpine, I immediately thought... That is the problems you have when you qualify so deep into the grid. First corner on lap one is risky for everyone, but it is much more risky for those on the back end of the grid. You get that big accordion effect and it mostly a question of who is going to come in hot and who are they going to hit (or any other scenario with so many cars at one place and one time that causes damage).

Richard

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

That is the problems you have when you qualify so deep into the grid. First corner on lap one is risky for everyone, but it is much more risky for those on the back end of the grid. You get that big accordion effect and it mostly a question of who is going to come in hot and who are they going to hit (or any other scenario with so many cars at one place and one time that causes damage).

Was going to say that, although the car that caused the shunt qualified P5.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

I think regardless of where their drivers end up qualifying they are too evenly matched, probably not great co workers with one another, and will ultimately spend too much of their time trying to beat the other one rather than trying to collectively move their team up the grid.a team without a leader imo!

Agreed.

[chunterer]

Are both drivers locked in for nect year?
There hasn't been the 'agg' between them that a lot of people expected but neither are tearing up trees are they?

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Are both drivers locked in for next year?

Theorically yes, both contracts ending at the end of 2024. As you say the honeymoon didn't last for long. If ever it existed between those two.

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Regardless of the blame, it's still Alpine +0pts, McLaren +28pts.


Scoring at a rate of 28-30pts per Grand Prix like McLaren will easily propel Alpine into the top four in the WCC. That's all Alpine need to do. "How hard can it be?"

Exactly.
If McLaren can score 58 points in two races, exactly double the 29 they had scored in total this year before that, then anyone can do it, eh Szafnauer?

It can't be that hard.
Ocon won the Hungarian GP in the past.
He even Beat Alonso.
Spa and Monza should be no problem for him and Gasly.
A couple of 1st and 2nd's and Bob's your uncle.

[GTRMagic]

Isnt Alpine a Philip Morris brand...

[E.B]

Crikey.... a big shake up at Alpine effective Monday.... Szafnauer, Permane and Fry all gone.
https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1/s...10214024208384

Ottmar by mutual agreement according to autosport
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/sz...boss/10501134/

[chillibowl]

Always fire people on a Friday they say but surely they could have waited til after the GP/summer break to announce?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

Always fire people on a Friday they say but surely they could have waited til after the GP/summer break to announce?

Maybe they felt they just couldn't wait. Or the news was going to potentially break on it's own. And it makes sense to announce now than just after the race as it allows it to somewhat be moderated by other potential Spa related news items.

Richard

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by E.B

Crikey.... a big shake up at Alpine effective Monday.... Szafnauer, Permane and Fry all gone.
https://twitter.com/andrewbensonf1/s...10214024208384

Ottmar by mutual agreement according to autosport
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/sz...boss/10501134/

Bloomin' eck!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

Always fire people on a Friday they say but surely they could have waited til after the GP/summer break to announce?

Well the break starts Monday! Otmar is still representing the team this weekend. So much for the 100 races to get it right time scale Otmar was given.

Otmar will be replaced on an interim basis by Bruno Famin, who was named earlier this month in the newly created role of VP of Alpine Motorsport.

Permane has been with the team through all its various identities over 34 years when he first joined Benetton! He is leaving 'during the break'

He will be replaced Alpine Academy director Julian Rouse, again on an interim basis.

Chief technical officer Pat Fry is set the leave to join Williams in a similar role by the end of this year. This might have already been known and is perhaps not a part of this latest Alpine shuffle of the pack.

[peebee2]

Otto has been a dead man walking. I’m convinced he only got the job as he brought BWT.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Otto has been a dead man walking. I’m convinced he only got the job as he brought BWT.

would also guess the failure to retain Piastri played a part as well?

seemed like Otmar really dropped the ball on that one!

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

Maybe they felt they just couldn't wait. Or the news was going to potentially break on it's own. And it makes sense to announce now than just after the race as it allows it to somewhat be moderated by other potential Spa related news items.

Richard

or they wanted the attention of announcing during a GP weekend?

cynical on my part but with new investors on board, and going by their previous forays into sports ownership and the TV show that goes with it, this all makes for a very provocative first episode?!?