Alpine's F1 podium dreams dashed for 2023 season says CEO
Mar.10 - Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi admits the Renault-owned team is unlikely to hits its goal of breaking into the top three constructors' in Formula 1 this year.
Last year, Alpine - then with Fernando Alonso at the wheel - finished fourth overall before the two-time champion defected to Aston Martin.
Aston Martin now appears to have skyrocketed from seventh overall in 2022 to being arguably the second-fastest team behind Red Bull early this season.
It seems to be a blow for Alpine's earlier-stated goal of breaking into the top F1 teams.
"Everyone is saying 'Ah, they're delaying'," Rossi told France's Auto Hebdo. "But it takes time to turn a boat like this - to get to where Mercedes was, to where Red Bull is now.
"Those teams took a good three, four, five years, even more for Ferrari, to find their way to the podium," he insisted.
Renault's works F1 team was rebranded as Alpine for 2021, when Rossi declared that regular podiums would be achievable within 100 grands prix.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, 2nd position, Laurent Rossi, CEO, Alpine F1, Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1, 1st position, and Sir Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 3rd position, on the podium
"The first two seasons of this four to five-year plan are going well," he now says. "They are in line with our expectations.
"We finished fifth in 2021, fourth in 2022, it's natural now to aim for the podium."
Indeed, third currently seems out of reach - with Aston Martin as well as Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull apparently monopolising those places for now.
"The difference that separates us from third place is big," Rossi admits.
"Everyone has this goal, but it's like aiming for the moon. The minimum would be to finish fourth and close the gap to third place."
✅ Check out this weeks Laurent Rossi 2023 Beyond the Grid podcast interview
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"Those teams took a good three, four, or even five years - even more for Ferrari - to find their way to the podium," he insisted.
I can see exactly why Alonso bailed, and why Piastri bolted if he can make a statement like that, especially after what Aston Martin has been able to achieve in just a little over 14 weeks.
Let us also not forget Riccardo left in a hurry too, even though, like Alonso, he made the car look better than it was.
If they are happy to accept where they are at, then they may as well stop now or get serious and start by getting rid of Rossi. If he worked for me, he would be out the door, making a statement like that while ignoring what Aston Martin has achieved and the podium that apparently takes years to achieve."
Frighteningly often leaders in industry get so wrapped up in day to day stuff they fail to see what’s going on around them Inside or outside.They need expert eyes and ears,RB-Marco, MB - Lauda, Ferrari - Ferrari. Any others?