Main culprit behind Fernando Alonso from Alpine REVEALED

Fernando Alonso

Main culprit behind Alonso's departure from Alpine REVEALED

Nilanjana Chatterjee

Monday 7 August 2023 15:57 Updated: 19:13

New reports have named Laurent Rossi as the man responsible for Fernando Alonso's departure from Alpine in 2022.

As the team witnessed many drivers leave the team within a year, Alonso moved to Aston Martin as contract negotiations with team principal Otmar Szafnauer took time to conclude.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, Rossi played in a vital role in making some crucial decisions that influenced the French outfit's current situation. Reports say that Laurent Rossi was responsible for driving away Alonso despite Alpine's wish to keep him. After he left, the team spent millions of pounds to bring Pierre Gasly to the team from AlphaTauri.

Rossi is also blamed for tying down Alpine with 'unnecessary' financial commitments by signing Esteban Ocon a long-term contract until the end of 2024, about two years ago. Alpine finds themselves in a mid-season crisis after laying off many important people, including Rossi and now former team principal Otmar Szafnauer right before the Belgian GP.

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Alpine leadership has said they were tired of seeing their mid-field rivals McLaren and Aston Martin make drastic progress in recent months. The French team is 46 points behind in the constructors' championship standings, while they have also been three tenths of a second per lap slower than Mercedes and Ferrari.

Alonso blames Otmar for Alpine's sorry state

Former Alpine driver Fernando Alonso holds Szafnauer responsible for the unfortunate state of the team in the last 12 months. About his departure, the Spaniard said:

"I don't think I felt disrespected, but it is true it took longer than I thought when we started conversations," the former world champion told BBC Sport. "I think it was in Australia in 2022 [when talks began] about renewing the contract."

"It was just on a very slow pace and it was not from my side, I was just ready and happy," he continued. "The 2022 car was a fast car so I was also happy with the performance and the possibilities into the future, so that slow pace of conversations and eventually not even putting on paper what we were writing and all these comments about the age and whatever, which they are still doing.

"It is the way they do things, or the way Otmar does things, because after this year he should be quiet, he should not talk at all. After the results of Aston Martin and the results he's achieving, he's still talking and still proud of the decision, which is incredible, amazing."