No Mattia Binotto return as Alpine confirm team boss for F1 2024

Alpine have confirmed that Bruno Famin will continue as their F1 team principal on a permanent basis during the 2024 season.

The Frenchmen initially joined Alpine to head their engine division in 2022, before taking over the team principal position on an interim basis for the second half of 2023, following a management exodus that including the departure of Otmar Szafnauer.

Famin, who led Alpine’s team launch on Wednesday at their factor in Enstone, was later officially announced as staying on in the role.

The confirmation rules out a return to F1, at least at Enstone, for former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto, who had been linked with taking over as team principal at Alpine at various stages last year.

Alpine finished a distant sixth in the constructors’ championship last season but Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon each managed a single podium.

Famin insists Alpine are not setting any targets for the 2024 F1 season after overhauling their car design.

“We need to continue to improve the team to take it to the next level. We all know that progress is never linear. That’s why we will not declare any numerical targets,” he explained.

“We are focusing on ourselves and the improvement across the many different areas, to enable us to demonstrate greater competitiveness. It’s going to be a fierce battle on-track, and off it in the development race in the factories, and we intend to be part of that close competition.”

Alpine have described their new A524 challenger as being “bold” and “brand-new”.

The changes were so fundamental that “only the steering wheel survived”, according to technical director Matt Harman.