Following a disappointing pre-season testing, the 2024 Formula 1 season got worse for Alpine during the free practice and qualifying sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit. The season got even worse for the French team after their disastrous performance at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
However, the season reached its peak level of ‘worse’ for Alpine, as top technical chiefs Matt Harman and Dirk de Beer resigned from the Enstone-based team.
Why did top two execs suddenly resign from Alpine?
The Alpine Formula 1 team just witnessed their season plunge to another level of chaos, as there’s news spreading that Technical Director Matt Harman and Aerodynamics Head Dirk de Beer just resigned from their posts—despite no official announcements being made by the French outfit.
Although still unconfirmed, numerous sources inside the Alpine camp have reported that the two technical chiefs submitted their resignation few weeks earlier. In fact, some sources claim even months ago.
The exact reasons behind their resignation can easily be traced back to Alpine’s ‘failed’ strategy, which is heavily focused on engine and aerodynamic developments. But it is crystal clear that Alpine 2024 challenger, the A524, has flawed design and overweight concerns—as seen in the car’s underperformance at the Bahrain GP.
Another major reason behind the top two execs suddenly resigning is the ‘long-plaguing’ tension within the Alpine camp, which has experienced key departures in the recent past. It was only last year that Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, and sporting director, Alan Permane, was fired by the Alpine hierarchies.
But this isn’t the only departures that the team saw. Laurent Ross was pushed out from the CEO chair, while Pat Fry ran out from the Technical Director’s role.
Despite resigning from their posts, Matt Harmann and Dirk de Beer are still continuing with the team—as seen in the Bahrain Grand Prix—and will likely be present till April.
Alpine’s performance at Bahrain GP
Alpine’s biggest troubles lie with its 2024 F1 challenger, the A524, that has put forth terrible performances since the season’s start. The A524’s latest results at the Bahrain GP is a solid testament to its underperformance.
Alpine, led by Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, displayed an ‘extremely’ disappointing performance at the season-opening Bahrain GP where Esteban Ocon finished at P17 and Pierre Gasly at P18, only managing to leapfrog Valtteri Bottas and Logan Sergeant.
The French team’s latest results come after an even disappointing performance at the Bahrain GP’s qualifications sessions, where they acquired P19 and P20 of the starting grid. The Alpine drivers were knocked out in the first Q1 round, missing out the latter rounds.
The free practice sessions of the Bahrain GP was similarly disappointing for Alpine: P17 and P18 in FP1, P16 and P18 in FP2, and P18 and P20 in FP3. The Enstone-based squad even had a lackluster performance in the pre-season testing, where Pierre Gasly urged Alpine to rapidly ‘unlock the A524’s performance”.
Alpine will still keep racing —amidst this chaotic and disappointing time—between March 7th to 9th at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Will Alpine see more resignations in the 2024 F1 season? Can they even bounce back from their terrible start to the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
