Alpine technical leads Harman and De Beer depart team following ‘a period of disappointing results’ as re-shuffle announced

Alpine’s unsettled 12 months have continued with the announcement that Technical Director Matt Harman and head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer have left the team, with Alpine announcing a subsequent technical re-shuffle.

Following the Bahrain Grand Prix – which saw Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly start from the very back of the grid, with neither driver managing to score points in the new-concept A524 – it was announced that Harman and De Beer would leave the team.

READ MORE: ‘We have a lot of work ahead of us’ – Alpine drivers say double-Q1 exit ‘not a surprise’ in Bahrain

The announcement comes in the wake of a slew of high-level changes in 2023, with Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, Sporting Director Alan Permane, Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry and CEO Laurent Rossi all departing – with Bruno Famin confirmed as full-time Team Principal earlier this year.

Following Harman and De Beer’s departures, Alpine will move to a structure of having a trio of Technical Directors, with Joe Burnell as Technical Director (Engineering), David Wheater as Technical Director (Aerodynamics) and Ciaron Pilbeam as Technical Director (Performance).

According to a statement from Alpine themselves, the changes come “after a period of disappointing results in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, where the team has fallen from finishing fourth in the 2022 Championship to sixth in 2023, missing several key targets in its ambitions to reach the front of the grid”.

“We have decided to make these organisational changes as we can clearly see that we are not where we want nor need to be in terms of performance level and it is time to take another step in terms of organisation and people,” said Famin.

“The new three-pillared structure with three Technical Directors, each specialising in different areas, will bring better work and collaboration across our technical areas and contribute to delivering performance from the factories to the race track.

READ MORE: What the teams said – Race day in Bahrain

“I trust fully in the abilities of Joe, David and Ciaron to work closely together in bringing the team the performance and improvements that it needs. Finally, I would like to thank Matt and Dirk for their efforts over the last couple of years at the team and wish them the very best in the next chapter of their careers.”

Alpine sit at the very bottom of the constructors’ standings after the opening race of the year, one of five teams – along with Kick Sauber, Haas, RB and Williams – who failed to score in the season opener.