Formula One team Alpine were reportedly given a major dressing down by Renault CEO Luca de Meo over alleged splits in the camp. Alpine have endured a tough season in F1, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon 11th and 12th in the drivers’ leaderboard.
With Renault in charge of the Alpine team, De Meo took it upon himself to dress down the entire staff. Even Gasly and Ocon were apparently expected to attend the meeting in Enstone, England.
Staff from Alpine’s engine factory in Viry-Chatillon, France, were reportedly expected to join via a video link. De Meo is reported to have quashed rumours about Bruno Famin’s role, with the interim team principal linked with an early departure.
Famin will continue in the position, ruling out an arrival for former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto. The Renault CEO is reported to have made it clear to new staff that their futures were not at risk, but those who are ‘stuck in old patterns’ have no future.
According to the report by Motorsport-Total, De Meo wants the split thinking between England and France to be abolished and demands that a more united approach is taken. It was recently announced that the Renault power unit is the worst on the F1 grid.
He also said that staff booking separate hotels and sitting on different tables to each other was no longer acceptable. De Meo was described as ‘determined’ and ‘sharp’ by sources who were present for the fiery meeting.
It is also claimed that an infamous interview given by Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi after the Miami Grand Prix was criticised. Rossi slammed staff for their “amateur” approach and has since been sidelined by Renault, which rebranded to Alpine for F1 in 2021 to reflect the brand’s sports car range.
Alpine have struggled for performance in F1 this season. Gasly came 10th at the recent Japanese Grand Prix while team-mate Ocon was a place ahead.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive F1 news
Gasly let his frustration out to the media after the race, another aspect of communication that De Meo wants to ban. Instead, all staff must keep their criticism behind closed doors. The Frenchman was unhappy with the team’s order to allow Ocon to pass as there was little reason for the move.
“Sometimes emotions do spill over and, of course, as a driver I want to push to the limit and achieve the best result possible,” Gasly said.
“I was definitely frustrated in the aftermath, but as a team we were able to discuss the strategy and execution. And what is most important is to maximise the overall team result at any given weekend.”
