Alpine F1 shake-up continues as operations director White departs

The Alpine team’s long-standing operations director Rob White has left the F1 outfit as it continues its restructuring efforts in a bid to turn around its fortunes.

White moved to Enstone from Viry-Châtillon in 2016 to head the team’s operations, having previously held the position of deputy managing director within Renault’s engine department in France.

Prior to joining French manufacturer in 2004, White had worked for Cosworth’s F1 engine project.

White’s exit follows a string of personnel changes at Alpine, with technical director Matt Harman and chief aerodynamicist Dirk de Beer resigning from the team ahead of the F1 season, while former Ferrari and McLaren engineer David Sanchez was appointed executive technical director earlier this month.

Alpine is facing immense pressure to improve its results after a disastrous start to its 2024 campaign. With only two points secured in the first eight races, the team is far from replicating the momentum they carried in previous years.

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The team’s disappointing results appears to be the catalyst for the recent shake-up within the beleaguered F1 outfit.

"As part of the team's wider operational restructure, we can confirm the departure of Rob White," Alpine said in a statement released on Friday.

"Rob most recently served as Operations Director working at Enstone. The team is thankful for Rob’s efforts during his long career both at Enstone and at Viry-Chatillon, where he led the championship winning engine project in 2005 and 2006. We wish him the best in his future endeavours."

It’s been a tumultuous past 12 months for Renault’s F1 affiliate.

Last summer, the F1 outfit split after the Belgian GP with team boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, while CTO Pat Fry opted to join Williams.

Those departures followed the exit from the team in mid-July of former Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, while former Renault top engine man Bruno Famin was placed at the helm of the F1 squad.

Famin’s first order of business this year was to create three specialised technical roles, with Joe Burnell will fulfill the role of Technical Director-Performance, David Wheater serving as Technical Director-Aerodynamics, and Ciaron Pilbeam being appointed as Technical Director-Engineering.

Sanchez now oversees the technical structure.

Only time will tell if the team’s most recent changes will have the desired effect. Alpine will need to demonstrate significant improvement in the upcoming races to salvage their 2024 season and build a stronger foundation for future success.

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