Alain Prost has launched an scathing assault on Alpine’s faltering Components One group, labelling just lately departed CEO Laurent Rossi “incompetent” and an instance of the company affect which has taken maintain of the group.
On Friday, Alpine confirmed the departure of group boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, per week after it was confirmed Rossi had been changed as CEO by Phillipe Krief and moved to work on particular tasks for the broader Renault group.
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4-time world champion Prost was named govt director of Renault when it returned to F1 in 2015 and stayed via the rebrand to Alpine in 2021, earlier than leaving the position final yr.
“I like this group, and I’m saddened and distressed to see it in its present state,” Prost wrote in a column for L’Equipe.
“It deserves higher and has every thing it must succeed. I merely imagine you should depend on historical past to grasp what went mistaken.
“Should you take a look at the nice success tales from the final 30 years, you will note a easy construction — in contrast to an industrial organisation chart — constructed round three or 4 sturdy personalities, coupled with a profitable driver.”
Prost reversed his harshest criticism for Rossi, saying his fellow countryman was an ideal instance of the Dunning-Kruger impact, which he defined as “that of an incapable chief who thinks he can overcome his incompetence by his vanity and his lack of humanity in the direction of his troops”.
Prost claimed Rossi’s management undid lots of the constructive feeling which existed on the time of the rebrand, particularly Esteban Ocon’s shock win on the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
He added: “The person who was the boss of Alpine for eighteen months thought he had understood every thing from the beginning when he was completely misguided. His administration broke the momentum that had been in place since 2016 to realize these podiums and this victory.”
Underneath Rossi’s oversight Alpine not solely misplaced two-time world champion Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin, but in addition noticed former junior driver Oscar Piastri — thought of probably the most thrilling abilities in racing — go away for McLaren.
The lack of Piastri was a humiliation for the group and appears even worse with each one of many Australian’s current performances, as he continues to impress in his rookie season for McLaren’s resurgent F1 group.
Prost hinted at a poisonous tradition inside the group, which he advised led to his departure from the group final yr.
“It grew to become too sophisticated,” he wrote. “I used to be now not concerned within the selections, typically I didn’t share them, not even in any respect, however I needed to proceed to convey the official phrase.
“Whilst a member of the board of administrators, I found sure selections on the final minute… I felt that there was lots of jealousy.”
Alpine’s F1 group is below interim steerage of Bruno Famin, who simply three weeks in the past was made VP of Alpine Motorsport to work below Rossi’s management.
There are rumours Alpine will look to exchange Szafnauer with former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto however the group has refused to touch upon future plans.