Bruno Famin expands on his exit as Alpine F1 team principal and why he has done so, while he adds on the power unit situation and change in stance.
Over the Belgian GP weekend, Alpine broke the news about Famin stepping aside from his team principal role to focus on the motorsport activities at Viry-Chatillon. At the onset of the summer break, they announced Oliver Oakes taking over his position.
Oakes comes from being Hitech GP founder and good experience of handling the business there. The F1 step is new but something that Alpine needed in their new step, where they – as directed by Groupe Renault – are set to ditch the power unit programme.
Despite having signed up with the FIA for the 2026 power unit regulations, Renault is more or less out of that league. The formal end will only happen once they satisfy the French labour laws considering the huge workforce at Viry getting affected.
Outgoing team principal Famin elaborated on why he was stepping aside where he stressed that the hiring of Flavio Briatore has played little role in it. He also explained on why Renault is opting for the customer route for brand Alpine in F1.
You moving away –
Famin: “For the later year, I’ve been doubling my activities with one, the VP motorsport role, where I am managing Viry-Chatillon, with all the endurance, Dakar and Formula E projects we are managing there. And on top of that, acting as the managing director of BWT Alpine F1 team. And considering the stakes of the new project I was just mentioning about Viry, I think it will be much more useful for the company to dedicate my time, to concentrate my time to the Viry activities. I mean all the other motorsport activities and to the transformation project, if it’s confirmed, because it will be a huge impact on all the Viry people. Let’s not forget that the guys in Viry are making an amazing job. We all know that since 2014, we don’t have the best engine in Viry, but it’s one of the engines which improved the most since 2014. And now, we’re still not exactly at the top, but the improvement has been very good.
“And the job which is being done in Viry to prepare the 2026 engine is incredible. We fixed a very high target and I am confident that we can reach that target. The figures we have from the dyno are very good. All the people are very involved, very professional, very skilled. And it’s a very difficult situation there. And I think all the people, they are worth that we dedicate the necessary time to be with them in this project, which is huge. And that’s why I will finish. My answer is a bit long, I know, but the topic is important. And, you know, we have a new executive advisor, since sometimes. I have no problem with Flavio. The little time we spend together, I have absolutely no issue, no problem. Everybody knows him. He has his own way. He has his own goal. I have no problem. But I think it will be clearer on that side if I step down from the team principal role of Alpine F1. And I will dedicate my time… Then I will step down from the team principal role by the end of August and be fully dedicated to the Viry-Chatillon activities from the 1st of September.”
Project not materialising so far –
Famin: “I think the story of this team is quite complex. Everybody knows it more or less. It’s up and downs, stop and go. And I think it’s very difficult to try to build something altogether like that. I think during the last year, I think we made quite a lot of good progress, trying to make this advantage, because I think it was an advantage to be able to do both, to make it work. But yeah, I think the reason is very complex and is located in the complex history of the team. But it has nothing to do with the project which has been presented to Viry people. I think it’s really, a project in order to give even more chance for the Alpine brand to develop itself, to use the incredible skills we have in Viry.
“And I have no doubt that if this project is confirmed, Enstone will work well with any other PU manufacturer. Why the step now? Because we are at a very specific crossroads where the project for developing the Alpine brand is now very concrete, very clear. We know the resources needed for developing it. And on the other hand, we know that for the 2026 car generation in Formula 1, it’s now that the chassis regulations have been published a few weeks ago. It’s now that we have to decide, because again, the guy designing the chassis needs to know with which PU they are going to use. It’s not why before, it’s because now the question at the Alpine brand point of view is how do we use in the best possible way for developing the brand the resources we have.”
Timeline with French law –
Famin: “I think for the timeline, the timeline is what I said. We need to finish the social process in Viry, and it can take one week, it can take two months. We will need to finish that process and after I think the soonest will be the best for the team, of course, because everybody in Enstone needs to know how to design and with what to design the 2026 car, for sure. Very good people there as well, very constructive co-operation with them and that’s for the timeline. It’s the French labour law, which are a bit strict, to correct, if I was not correct enough the first time. No, I don’t expect any delay.
“The process will take some weeks and it will be quite fast anyway. We are following all the mandatory steps and there is no reason not to make it properly. A very important thing in the project which has been presented: every single employee will be offered a job. There is no redundancy at all. And we are doing everything to make potentially, because again, it’s still a project, but if it’s confirmed, to make a very difficult moment as less painful as possible. But we know it’s never easy, this kind of thing.”
Signs of selling the F1 team –
Famin: “There is a bit of potential in developing the integration, but it’s quite theoretical at the end of the story, because now all the PU manufacturers are working very closely, very early in the project with the teams, and all the integration are incredibly optimised. And if we take a Ferrari or Mercedes engine, I’m quite convinced that all the integration, all the packaging will be already very, very good. Then to answer the question, no, the Formula 1 project remains a key project for the Alpine brand. It’s thanks to Formula 1 that we want to develop the brand awareness globally. That remains, but the project is just reallocating the resources to develop the brand better always based on the pillar of motorsport and mainly Formula 1 to develop the awareness.”
Here’s Alpine confirms Oliver Oakes as team principal
Here’s Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly on Belgian GP
Here’s Alpine news on Bruno Famin’s exit as team principal
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