In a surprising turn of events at the Belgian Grand Prix, Bruno Famin announced his decision to step down as Alpine Formula 1 team principal by the end of August.
Famin, initially brought in to oversee Alpine’s engine division in 2022, rose through the ranks to become the company’s motorsport vice president by mid-2023. Following the departure of former team boss Otmar Szafnauer, Famin took over as interim team principal, a role he maintained into 2024.
Speculation about Famin’s future had been mounting as new team special advisor Flavio Briatore implemented numerous changes. The rumors were confirmed during the team principals’ press conference at Spa, where Famin acknowledged his imminent departure.
Famin will continue his association with Alpine, redirecting his focus to overseeing the company’s other motorsport activities at Viry-Chatillon. These include responsibilities in the World Endurance Championship and Formula E projects. ‘Bruno will be in charge of all other motorsport activities of the Renault Group at Viry-Chatillon. A new team principal will be announced in due course,’ stated Alpine’s official announcement.
Explaining his decision, Famin cited the increasing demands of his multiple roles and the need to dedicate more time to the Viry-Chatillon projects. He stated, ‘For the last year, I’ve been doubling my activities with the VP motorsport role, where I am managing Viry-Chatillon with all the [World] Endurance, Dakar, Formula E projects we are managing there, and on top of that, acting as the managing director of the Alpine F1 team.’
Despite the transition, Famin praised the efforts of the Viry-Chatillon team, highlighting their progress in engine development. ‘We all know that since 2014 we don’t have the best engine in Viry, but it’s one of the engines that improved the most since 2014 and now we’re still not exactly at the top, but the improvement has been very good,’ Famin remarked.
Addressing potential concerns, Famin clarified that his departure was not due to any issues with Briatore, mentioning that he had ‘no problem’ with the new advisor. Instead, he emphasized the strategic need to concentrate his efforts on crucial upcoming projects at Viry-Chatillon.
The appointment of Oliver Oakes, the current boss of Hitech F2 and F3, as Famin’s successor, is anticipated but not yet confirmed. Meanwhile, Famin’s shift to focus on Viry-Chatillon is seen as a move to bolster Alpine’s engine development and optimize the company’s motorsport strategy across various platforms.
Bruno Famin’s departure as Alpine F1 team principal marks a significant shift within the team, paving the way for new leadership while reaffirming Alpine’s commitment to advancing its overall motorsport ambitions.
