‘It’s a 100-race project’ – CEO Laurent Rossi outlines Alpine’s roadmap to reach the summit of F1

Alpine scored the first Formula 1 victory in their short history through Esteban Ocon in Hungary earlier this year, but have not troubled the podium places anywhere else. CEO Laurent Rossi wants that to change by 2024, having put in place a 100-race project…

The Renault Group rebranded their F1 operation as Alpine for this season, overhauling the livery and drafting back two-time world champion Fernando Alonso for a third stint at Enstone, driving alongside Esteban Ocon.

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They currently sit fifth in the constructors’ championship, more than 100 points adrift of Ferrari but 19 clear of closest rivals AlphaTauri. However, aside from Ocon’s win, they have secured just one other top five finish (Alonso’s fourth also in Hungary).

There’s no panic, though, as Rossi has the support from the board – including Renault CEO Luca de Meo – that Alpine are here for the foreseeable, as they look to create a long new chapter in F1.

“We have a long-term project, the objective is to reach a level of competitiveness that places us on the podium as many times as possible in 2024,” Rossi told F1.com. “From today in fifth, you can easily find a roadmap. It’s going to be every year a bit better. It’s a 100-race project, four years, four seasons.

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“Every race we must make progress. It can be progress you see on the track or progress you don’t see, all the little details. The idea is to never stop – and be able to see we’re going in the right direction. Next year, it’ll be a coin tossing year.

“All we want is to make sure we have a satisfactory level of performance when we start, which doesn’t put us too far from the top, And then from there, we can carry on our climb to the summit.”

De Meo reiterated Alpine’s long-term vision in F1, as they are using it to promote their electric sports car, which in turn will then fund the racing activities.

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”We are here to stay, we are here to improve every year,” he said. “We are here with an ambition. Alpine is part of one of the biggest manufacturers of the world. The story is that Alpine will have a long-term commitment.”

He added: “We are planning to transform Alpine in the electric car sports arena. We’re developing the product. The idea is to build around racing activities a business that would give perennity to the racing activity, so the business would then finance the operation. It will be a system that closes itself. Our performance here [in F1] will give substance to the whole story.”