Laurent Rossi axed as CEO of Alpine

Not a huge surprise, this one: Laurent Rossi has been replaced as CEO of Alpine two and a half years after he was appointed to the role.

Rossi caused a storm when he described his own team’s start to the 2023 F1 season as “amateurish” in May, and it was clear changes were imminent when Bruno Famin was hired as Alpine’s VP of Motorsport early last week.

Famin will now take control of the F1 operation and Rossi’s replacement - new CEO Philippe Krief - will oversee the brand as a whole, reporting directly to Renault Group big cheese Luca de Meo.

"I would like to thank Laurent for his unwavering commitment over the last two years at the helm of Alpine,” said de Meo. “Laurent has set out a clear and ambitious strategy for the brand. He has put Alpine in the best possible position to achieve its long-term goals. Alpine is now ready to enter a new phase of its development and to become a brand of the future.

“Philippe combines a long industry experience, great technical knowledge with the leadership qualities that are key to the success of our project, including the launch of the brand's new vehicles starting next year. I fully trust Philippe and his team to take Alpine to new heights.”

Alpine has lofty plans to become an €8 billion company by 2030, with the A290_β hot hatch, GT X-Over crossover and new A310 sports coupe among the products set to be launched over the coming years. The only car it makes at present is the A110 sportscar.

Krief has previously worked at Michelin and within the Fiat Group, taking roles at Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. He was responsible for the 458 Speciale, Giulia and Stelvio, no less, so his track record is pretty phenomenal.

He joined Alpine as Vice President of Engineering and Product Performance in February, and he’ll maintain that role’s responsibilities until a successor is found.

Rossi meanwhile is still employed by Renault Group, and "will now focus on special projects linked to the transformation of the Group". Whatever that means…

STORY Joe Holding