Sanchez joins Alpine as F1 technical director after McLaren exit

Strengthening Alpine's technical structure

In a move aimed at bolstering its technical capabilities, Alpine F1 Team has appointed David Sanchez as their new Executive Technical Director.

The Frenchman, who previously worked for Ferrari, will report directly to Team Principal Bruno Famin and oversee Alpine's newly implemented three-pillar technical structure.

Sanchez's responsibilities and reporting lines

Under the revamped structure, Sanchez will have the technical directors of each pillar – Ciaron Pilbeam (Performance), Joe Burnell (Engineering), and David Wheater (Aerodynamics) – reporting directly to him.

This strategic realignment aims to optimize Alpine's efforts and focus on the right performance areas.

A brief stint at McLaren

Sanchez's appointment at Alpine comes just a month after his departure from McLaren, where he had joined in January.

However, he found that the performance role he had been brought in for had changed during his nearly year-long gardening leave period.

In a mutual agreement, McLaren released Sanchez to ensure he could secure a more senior position, paving the way for his move to Alpine.

Famin's expectations and Alpine's ambitions

Expressing his delight at welcoming Sanchez back to Enstone, where the engineer started his career in 2005, Famin acknowledged the team's need to accelerate its development pace to match its ambitions.

"It is clear that the performance of the car and development path has not moved at a sufficient pace relative to our ambitions as a team,"

Famin stated, emphasizing the importance of Sanchez's appointment in achieving ultimate success.

Sanchez's motivation and goals

Sanchez expressed his excitement about the challenge at Alpine, highlighting the team's potential and the opportunity to work with familiar faces from his previous stint at Enstone.

"This team has always had so many fantastic people involved, and there is clearly so much potential to unlock,"

Sanchez said.

"We have a big task ahead to improve on-track performance, and it is this type of challenge that motivates me."

Alpine's restructuring and performance struggles

Alpine's decision to adopt a three-pronged technical line-up follows the departures of former technical chief Matt Harman and aerodynamicist Dirk de Beer after the launch of the A524 chassis.

Despite pursuing a new design concept, the team's car emerged overweight and lacking performance in pre-season testing, resulting in poor results in the opening five races.

With Sanchez's appointment and the technical restructuring, Alpine aims to address its performance deficiencies and unlock the team's full potential, aligning its development efforts with its ambitious goals in the highly competitive world of Formula 1.