F1 boss delivers team SALE verdict with new targets set

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F1 boss delivers team SALE verdict with new targets set

The team still have high hopes despite a poor start to the season

Tyler Rowlinson

Monday 15 April 2024 18:57

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Alpine team principal Bruno Famin has high hopes for the team as he gives his thoughts on the prospect of them being put up for sale.

It has been a dismal start to the 2024 season for the French works manufacturer, who have only been able to get one car through to Q2 twice in the opening four races – Esteban Ocon qualifying 15th in Australia and Japan.

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The team currently sit rock bottom of the constructors’ standings with no points to their name - nowhere near where they expect to be.

Alpine finished fourth in 2022 and were hoping to crack the top three of Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, but have instead plummeted down the order.

Ocon has team's highest qualifying position of 15th

Famin: 'We are not for sale'

This poor run of form might have made the Renault Group board question their existence in the sport, but according to Famin, this is not the case.

Speaking with the official F1 website, he said: “We have a real project with Alpine.

“We have the project to develop the Alpine brand awareness globally through motorsport and Formula 1 in particular.

“We have the full support of the top management. The team is absolutely not for sale. We will keep pushing to reach our goals.”

“It’s not a fun period,” he added. “We are not where we want to be in terms of performance, we are not doing the project to be P15 or P16. We want to be ahead, we want to develop the performance of the car – and we want to fight for podiums and for victories as soon as possible.”

Alpine hope to get back among the points in the short term. The top five teams tend to lock out the points-scoring positions, meaning sixth is decided on smaller amounts, and the team are confident that they can recover with there still being 20 races to go this year.

But Famin reiterated that his team want to be challenging much further up the grid from when the new, greener, regulations are introduced in 2026: “We want to be back on the first part of the grid for sure, to improve significantly our position.

“We know the major change in regulations is an opportunity to change the game. We want to seize that opportunity. That’s the goal.

“We want to make a significant step and find consistency, not to be one year fifth, one year seventh, one year sixth. Let’s get much closer to the biggest teams.”

Red Bull Ferrari Mercedes Alpine Esteban Ocon Bruno Famin