F1 legend reveals damning reason for shock switch to rivals

Pat Fry and Lewis Hamilton at the Hungarian Grand Prix 2011 — Photo: © LAT Images

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F1 legend reveals damning reason for shock switch to rivals

His skills have recently been snapped up by a rival

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 3 December 2023 13:57 Updated: 14:32

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Williams Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry has said that he left Alpine due to a lack of drive to 'move forward beyond fourth'.

The Brit - who has worked in Formula 1 since 1987 at a huge host of teams including Ferrari, Benetton and McLaren - left Alpine earlier this season to instead join Williams after three full seasons of steady progress.

He was one of a number of key personnel who left the Enstone-based team after a poor start to 2023, including team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

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It was announced at the Belgian Grand Prix that Fry would be joining Williams towards the end of the season in an identical role to which he held with Alpine.

Pat Fry has enjoyed a long career in Formula 1 which dates back to 1987

Otmar Szafnauer stepped down as Alpine team principal after a poor start to 2023 for the team

Fernando Alonso left Alpine to join Aston Martin, after Sebastian Vettel's retirement from Formula 1

Now, Fry has admitted that there was no real ambition from the team to progress any further than they already had, perhaps prompting the mass exodus.

“I look back at the first three years I was there, and we improved Enstone, dramatically,” Fry told Autosport.

“Year-on-year, we built a better car.

“If you put the three cars next to each other, each one was a massive step. It’s a credit for everyone there, the various teams were collaborating a huge amount better. I think everyone there should be proud of what we achieved for those three years.

“I guess I’d gone back there to go back to the place you started your career and try and rebuild it. And I think we did really well. From a distant fifth, we were a solid fourth.

“But I didn’t feel there was the enthusiasm or the drive to move forward beyond fourth.”