The Alpine implosion
Discussion
Technical Director and Head of Aerodynamics left the team. https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/alpine-facing-fr...
They've just announced a reorganisation. https://media.alpinecars.com/bwt-alpine-f1-team-an...
They've just announced a reorganisation. https://media.alpinecars.com/bwt-alpine-f1-team-an...
It's almost unfathomable how much of a mess they are. (I'm a United fan in football so not completely unfathomable)
All the talk of going radical with this years car with a concept that they can develop into something good even if it's not great early doors and then it ends up at the back of the grid as expected but seemingly the people most responsible for it have now quit.
Doesn't really bode well for developing it does it?
Ocon will be begging Toto for the Merc seat and Gasly is too good to be at the back of the grid.
All the talk of going radical with this years car with a concept that they can develop into something good even if it's not great early doors and then it ends up at the back of the grid as expected but seemingly the people most responsible for it have now quit.
Doesn't really bode well for developing it does it?
Ocon will be begging Toto for the Merc seat and Gasly is too good to be at the back of the grid.
FourWheelDrift said:
Another team in Andretti's eyeline to buy into F1 perhaps.
I know a big part of not allowing Andretti in is to protect the economics of the 10 teams so far and not dilute things further but would they allow them to buy a team? Feels kinda personal against the Andrettis themselves at this point.F1GTRUeno said:
It's almost unfathomable how much of a mess they are. (I'm a United fan in football so not completely unfathomable)
All the talk of going radical with this years car with a concept that they can develop into something good even if it's not great early doors and then it ends up at the back of the grid as expected but seemingly the people most responsible for it have now quit.
Doesn't really bode well for developing it does it?
Ocon will be begging Toto for the Merc seat and Gasly is too good to be at the back of the grid.
I see no grounds the other teams can use to orevent them buying a team - a team is an asset that can be sold and bought. Provided the new outfit meets the requirements got entry, they can enter. The only reason the other teams had any real influence before was that increasing to 11 teams fundamentally changes the sport/business that they're already invested in.All the talk of going radical with this years car with a concept that they can develop into something good even if it's not great early doors and then it ends up at the back of the grid as expected but seemingly the people most responsible for it have now quit.
Doesn't really bode well for developing it does it?
Ocon will be begging Toto for the Merc seat and Gasly is too good to be at the back of the grid.
FourWheelDrift said:
Another team in Andretti's eyeline to buy into F1 perhaps.
I know a big part of not allowing Andretti in is to protect the economics of the 10 teams so far and not dilute things further but would they allow them to buy a team? Feels kinda personal against the Andrettis themselves at this point.It's entirely possible alpine is being effectively being given the blank canvas treatment to enable an easy sale to andretti, and if that's a rumour in the team, it would tally with why people are willingly jumping ship to make themselves available elsewhere.
I would understand the reasons for wanting to sell the team too - it's a burden to Renault these days, despite finally turning a small profit. Renault is heading into electrification in a big way and their less than impressive F1 PU hasn't been a useful advert for their ICE sales for about a decade. F1 has also caused political headaches as the brand is part state owned too.
I'm beginning to see why Ryan Reynolds invested, he's in for a big payday if Andretti make an offer.
FourWheelDrift said:
To be fair, he was always leaving. He's retired a couple of times and was milking the Alpine Labs gravy train. I imagine Famin wants everything concentrating on recovering the car performance rather than "special projects". Sandpit Steve said:
A proper implosion. Can’t see Andretti offering much for them either, £500m or so, minus the buyout on the underpowered Renault PUs.
Andretti would I think still rather challenge the Establishment then buy in to them, and want a US-based team.
So far as I'm aware... there is no reason they can't move the team to be based elsewhere once they own it.Andretti would I think still rather challenge the Establishment then buy in to them, and want a US-based team.
Leaving aside reasons of common sense (Enstone is the sensible place) and also the fussy and expensive HR mess of firing everyone that doesn't wish to relocate to America.
Nonetheless, any F1 team could be valued at as much as $1bn these days, the value is sure to only increase over time and profitability, if the owner determines to run the team for profit, can be guaranteed. How much would you pay for a golden goose?
TheDeuce said:
So far as I'm aware... there is no reason they can't move the team to be based elsewhere once they own it.
Leaving aside reasons of common sense (Enstone is the sensible place) and also the fussy and expensive HR mess of firing everyone that doesn't wish to relocate to America.
goose?
French employment law would make moving very very expensive for any new owner Leaving aside reasons of common sense (Enstone is the sensible place) and also the fussy and expensive HR mess of firing everyone that doesn't wish to relocate to America.
goose?
rallycross said:
TheDeuce said:
So far as I'm aware... there is no reason they can't move the team to be based elsewhere once they own it.
Leaving aside reasons of common sense (Enstone is the sensible place) and also the fussy and expensive HR mess of firing everyone that doesn't wish to relocate to America.
goose?
French employment law would make moving very very expensive for any new owner Leaving aside reasons of common sense (Enstone is the sensible place) and also the fussy and expensive HR mess of firing everyone that doesn't wish to relocate to America.
goose?
Andretti has the money. I can see it could be argued a good long term investment irrespective of the buy in costs.
ChocolateFrog said:
That quote has been around for at least two decades, it was #1 on a list of 50 “project management proverbs” on a PMP course I did in 2002 or thereabouts. “It takes nine months for a woman to have a baby. It can’t be done in one month with nine women”
Well remembered though, and one I’ve used not a few times since.
MustangGT said:
rallycross said:
French employment law would make moving very very expensive for any new owner
Alpine is based in the UK, not FranceAlthough booting people here is not particularly cheap. Either way it makes no difference, id Andretti really want to buy into F1 it'll cost them a large fortune however they do it. They have the money and if a potential purchase of Alpine is possible, they won't be put off because of one off costs such as paying off the workforce and/or establishing a new factory in the States.
F1GTRUeno said:
Haas have a base in the US and then the main base/factory in the UK don't they? (Plus one with/at Dallara in Italy - christ, no wonder they're at the back)
Would imagine Andretti would/would've done the same thing had they been allowed or should they buy the Enstone team.
I dunno, depends how 'American' they want their American team to really be. A token yank driver (and a decent first driver... Would imagine Andretti would/would've done the same thing had they been allowed or should they buy the Enstone team.
) could be enough to tick the boxes. The Americans are funny about American jobs going to foreigners though, you would think having the factory physically located outside the US would solve the problem but from a fan & marketing perspective, it could still be a negative.I think the dream has to be a bone-fide US team on US soil with a US driver showing the world what it means to be a hero.
The reality is they're probably going to have to compromise that dream quite significantly if they ever want to get anywhere - and regardless of which team they buy to enter the sport.
It doesn't look good does it.
Who's next on the chopping block at Enstone? It sounds like they are more or less stuck with this car through 2025 and are talking about 2026 as the next opportunity to make decent gains. Surely a factory team can't just let two more seasons goto waste?
And they say that Andretti won't add any value?
Who's next on the chopping block at Enstone? It sounds like they are more or less stuck with this car through 2025 and are talking about 2026 as the next opportunity to make decent gains. Surely a factory team can't just let two more seasons goto waste?
And they say that Andretti won't add any value?
RobGT81 said:
It doesn't look good does it.
Who's next on the chopping block at Enstone? It sounds like they are more or less stuck with this car through 2025 and are talking about 2026 as the next opportunity to make decent gains. Surely a factory team can't just let two more seasons goto waste?
And they say that Andretti won't add any value?
Talent has buggered off already, no new talent is likely to be incoming until the team is sold. They're indeed in limbo.Who's next on the chopping block at Enstone? It sounds like they are more or less stuck with this car through 2025 and are talking about 2026 as the next opportunity to make decent gains. Surely a factory team can't just let two more seasons goto waste?
And they say that Andretti won't add any value?
It makes sense too. Given who is likely to be looking at buying, a relatively clean sheet of a team is probably seen as a positive. I really don't think the teams performance between now and new ownership really matters.
It'll be an interesting new chapter for enstone, and is anyone really going to miss Renault? Their latest stint in F1 has been underwhelming, and under-funded for the most part. They got beaten by a customer team using their engine and as if that wasn't embarrassing enough, at the end of that season that customer announced they didn't even want their engine anymore. Harsh..
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