Philippe Krief, former technical director at Alfa Romeo and engineering lead at Ferrari, stepped into the CEO role at Alpine, taking over from Rossi. Krief, who joined Alpine in early March, will also retain his duties as vice president of engineering and product performance until further notice, reporting directly to Renault Group CEO, Luca de Meo.
Rossi will pivot towards handling “special projects associated with the Group’s transformation.”
Luca de Meo expressed his gratitude towards Laurent Rossi for his steadfast dedication over his two-year tenure at the head of Alpine, stating, “Laurent has provided a distinct and ambitious blueprint for the brand. He has primed Alpine to optimally reach its long-term objectives. Alpine is now poised to transition into the next stage of its evolution, aiming to be a brand of the future, and elevate Alpine to unprecedented levels.”
This leadership shift coincides with Alpine’s restructuring of its racing senior management, which witnessed the promotion of F1 engine chief Bruno Famin to the position of vice president of Alpine F1 Flows. He was initially set to report to Rossi, and Szafnauer was planned to report to Famin in turn.
Rossi had been assigned the CEO role at the sports car company, Alpine, in January 2021. His scope of responsibilities included the comprehensive management of the F1 team. He took over from Cyril Abiteboul, whose leadership from 2014 was met with heavy criticism due to Renault’s inadequate adaptation to the 1.6-litre turbo hybrid regulations, leading to dissatisfaction from engine customer, Red Bull.
As Renault rebranded to Alpine in 2021, Rossi introduced an ambitious 100-race strategy, aiming to make the team a consistent contender for the podium by 2024. Despite Esteban Ocon’s unexpected victory in the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, the team has managed only one additional top-three finish since then, with Ocon securing third place in the 2023 Monaco GP.
Last year, Alpine earned accolades for outpacing McLaren to secure fourth place in the constructors’ championship and aimed to narrow the gap with Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull this season. Nevertheless, due to a challenging start to the season, compounded by unreliability and penalties, Alpine has slipped to sixth place behind McLaren and Aston Martin ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian GP.
A rough beginning to the season led Rossi to organize an interview with French TV network Canal+ prior to the Miami GP in May, where he criticized his team as “amateurish”. This scrutiny led many to speculate about team principal Otmar Szafnauer’s job security.
This comes on the heels of Alpine’s questionable management of the 2022 driver market, which saw the departure of two-time champion Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin and rising star Oscar Piastri to McLaren.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Alpine CEO change
Who is the new CEO of Alpine?
The new CEO of Alpine is Philippe Krief, who was previously the technical director at Alfa Romeo and the engineering lead at Ferrari.
What is the future role of former Alpine CEO, Laurent Rossi?
Laurent Rossi will be focusing on “special projects” that are related to the transformation of the Group.
Who will Philippe Krief report to in his new role?
Philippe Krief will report to Luca de Meo, the CEO of Renault Group.
What was the reaction of Renault Group CEO, Luca de Meo, to Laurent Rossi’s departure?
Luca de Meo expressed gratitude for Laurent Rossi’s unwavering commitment and strategic direction during his tenure, stating that Rossi positioned Alpine to achieve its long-term goals.
What were some of the key accomplishments of Alpine under Laurent Rossi’s leadership?
Under Rossi’s leadership, Alpine outpaced McLaren to secure fourth place in the constructors’ championship and introduced a 100-race strategy to consistently contend for the podium by 2024.
What led to Laurent Rossi’s criticism of his team as “amateurish”?
The criticism from Rossi followed a challenging start to the season, marked by unreliability and penalties, which led to Alpine’s current standing at sixth place behind McLaren and Aston Martin.
More about Alpine CEO change
- Alpine F1 Team Official Website
- Biography of Philippe Krief
- Alpine’s 2023 Season Performance
- News about Renault Group
- Details on Alpine’s Racing Strategy
5 comments
alpine’s loss of Alonso and Piastri still stings, they need to step up their driver market game. or it won’t matter who’s CEO…
All these management changes, but what about the cars? reliability has been a joke this season, fix that first!!
sad to see Rossi moved aside, he had a vision for the team. hope Krief can take them to the top!
So Krief is the new boss huh? thats a surprise! But he’s got a good track record, let’s hope for the best…
What’s up with Rossi criticizing his own team as amateurish! That’s harsh man, maybe leadership wasn’t his thing.