At the start of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the prevailing narrative was that the field had effectively split in two. There was said to be a big gap between the top five and bottom five teams.
That left those in the latter group relying on retirements, or mistakes from drivers like Lance Stroll, if they were to score points. Since then, the picture has shifted somewhat.
Red Bull junior team RB have broken ahead, amassing 24 points and seemingly overtaking Aston Martin in the pecking order in recent races. It remains to be seen whether Haas, on seven, end up looking forwards or over their shoulders.
As it stands, there’s a distinct bottom three. Sauber are currently propping up the order as the only team yet to score.
The Swiss outfit might be counting down the days until Audi take full control and inject an elite-level budget in the process. Until then, there may be more pain in store.
Williams finally got off the mark for 2024 at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Alex Albon finishing ninth. That was enough to equal Alpine, who were boosted by a second P10 of the campaign, this time from Pierre Gasly.
Alpine boss Luca de Meo could pull the plug on Formula 1 project
Earlier in the year, an Alpine spokesperson denied that the team was up for sale. But they may now be creeping in that direction behind the scenes, based on a report from journalist Joe Saward.
Launched in 2021 to promote Renault’s sportscar brand, the Enstone outfit have competed in 74 races thus far, taking four podiums and one victory (through Esteban Ocon at the 2021 Hungarian GP). However, they have fallen well short of their long-term goals.
They originally aimed to be competing for regular podium finishes by 2024, as ‘nasty people’ in the F1 paddock have pointed out. As it is, they’re slugging it out at the foot of the midfield.
Renault CEO Luca de Meo was conspicuous by his absence in Monaco – effectively the brand’s home race following the demise of the French GP – and he now ‘seems to have given up’. Rather than persisting in his efforts ‘to fix the troublesome team’, he could look for a buyer.
‘Extremely good sources’ have confirmed that De Meo is ‘shopping around’ for a 2026 engine deal. This suggests he could pull the plug on Renault’s own project at Viry.
There’s still a possibility that the Alpine name continues to feature on the F1 grid. Renault could sell but retain naming rights, adopting the same business model as Alfa Romeo at Sauber.
Flavio Briatore targets ‘amazing’ Red Bull man for Alpine
Perhaps in one last attempt to save Alpine, De Meo has reportedly brought Flavio Briatore back to the team in an advisory role. Briatore led the team to two world championships under the guise of Renault in 2005 and 2006, but has also found himself embroiled in controversy and scandal during his career.
One of the Italian’s tasks is to help overhaul the design department, and he’s going after the biggest fish of all. He’s already been on the phone to Adrian Newey ahead of his departure from Red Bull in early 2025.
A coup of that size could be enough to persuade De Meo to hold fire on selling the operation. But Newey would surely have major reservations about joining.
There has been an almighty exodus from Alpine since last summer, with CEO Laurent Rossi and team principal Otmar Szafnauer among those to lose their jobs. Szafnauer’s successor Bruno Famin is desperately trying to restore order.
Famin is considering suspending Ocon after his collision with Gasly in Monaco. While he may want to send a message, this will be seen from the outside as a continuation of the crisis at the team.
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