Alpine ‘absolutely not for sale’ - Famin

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin insists the struggling team is “absolutely not for sale” and has the backing of Renault’s management.

Famin was installed as interim team principal last summer as part of an overhaul that saw Otmar Szafnauer and Alan Permane depart, but this year has seen Alpine slip to the bottom of the constructors’ championship. Last week the team firmly denied a report that owner Renault was considering a sale, and Famin says the target for Alpine remains clear.

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“We have a real project with Alpine,” Famin told the official Formula 1 website. “We have the project to develop the Alpine brand awareness globally through motorsport and Formula 1 in particular.

“We have the full support of the top management. The team is absolutely not for sale. We will keep pushing to reach our goals.”

After Szafnauer and Permane last year, technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer both left earlier this season, and Famin admits it has been a tough spell but says changes are being made that he is confident will improve the situation quickly.

“It’s not a fun period. We are not where we want to be in terms of performance, we are not doing the project to be P15 or P16. We want to be ahead, we want to develop the performance of the car – and we want to fight for podiums and for victories as soon as possible.

“Everybody [on the board] understands it is not an easy challenge. It’s a very difficult challenge – we owe a lot of respect to our competitors. To fight ahead, we have to raise the bar, raise our level, we need to improve.

The Renault Group has had to overcome adversity before, such as with its woefully unreliable RS01 in 1977, the first turbocharged F1 car (pictured), which was eventually replaced with the race-winning RE20 in 1980. Motorsport Images

“In the history our team, previously branded Renault – at the start of the project in the 1970s, everyone was laughing at us – and we were strong in those moments.

“We want to use those difficult moments now. We know everyone has ups and downs. We are in a down – but we will use the opportunity to be stronger very soon and for sure make the necessary changes within the team to reach our goals.

“The car we have now is the result of previous management. But what is important is what we are doing now. And I’m happy with what we are doing. Of course the way is very long, and we have a lot to improve.”