Alpine’s Nielsen puts long-term vision ahead of quick fixes

Alpine’s newly appointed managing director, Steve Nielsen, has wasted no time in outlining his top priority as he seeks to revive the fortunes of the Enstone-based F1 outfit.

The veteran operator, who returns to the team after more than two decades, says his main focus will be on ensuring that Alpine produces “the best car we can” while making the tough sacrifices needed for future success.

Nielsen steps into the role at a difficult moment for Alpine. The team sits last in the Constructors’ standings with just 20 points and faces a major transition ahead of 2026, when it will abandon its Renault works power unit in favor of Mercedes customer engines.

This shift from a works team to a customer outfit marks a critical juncture for the squad, and Nielsen’s leadership will be instrumental in shaping its trajectory.

A Focus on Building the Best Car

In a video message shared on Alpine’s social media, the Briton acknowledged the mismatch between the team’s resources and its results.

“We have got great facilities, but the product we’ve put on the track doesn’t reflect the effort of the people here, and the facilities we have here,” he said.

“My top priority is to make sure that Enstone produce the best car we can.

Nielsen’s excitement is tempered by a pragmatic approach to the challenges ahead. He acknowledges the need to balance immediate performance with long-term goals, especially as Alpine prepares for the 2026 regulatory changes.

“You have to have an eye on the future. You have to sacrifice short-term success and invest in the future, and we’re going through that at the moment,” he said.

Nielsen’s leadership style is rooted in resilience and teamwork. He believes adversity reveals character and drives progress.

“I’m a great believer that you find out more about people when things go badly than when things go well, because you see what people are really made of,” he contended.

“There are those people that are willing to dig deep, find an extra gear and keep pushing.”

A Return to Familiar Ground

Nielsen’s return to Enstone marks a homecoming of sorts. He was part of the team during Fernando Alonso’s championship-winning years in 2005 and 2006 and has since built a résumé across Williams, Toro Rosso, Caterham, Lotus, and Arrows, as well as senior roles with the FIA and Formula One Management.

“I didn’t think I’d know many people here, but it’s a mixture of the familiar and the new,” Nielsen reflected.

“It’s a real exciting time for me to be back. It’s a privilege to be back. This is my home. The biggest part of my professional life has been here; my biggest successes, I suppose, have been here. And to come back, the sort of late stage of my career is a real privilege.”

Having spent most of the last decade away from the pit wall, Nielsen admitted that the lure of competition was too strong to resist, and he’s clearly eager to re-engage with the intensity of F1.

“For the last eight years, I haven’t been in a racing team; I was at F1,” he said.

“I had a great time in F1, but you miss the highs and lows that come with competition, and ultimately that’s why I decided to come back, back to my home, if you like, because I missed the cut and thrust of competition. So it’s wonderful to be back.”

Read also:

• Herbert: Alpine stuck in a ‘very long and dark tunnel’

As Alpine prepares for a transformative 2026 season, Nielsen’s experience and focus on car performance position him as a key figure in the team’s quest for redemption.

With his sights set on unlocking Enstone’s potential, the F1 community will be watching closely to see if he can steer Alpine back to the front of the grid.

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