Otmar Szafnauer: Alpine sack team principal and sporting director Alan Permane, Pat Fry joins Williams

Alpine have sacked team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane; Pat Fry has left his position as chief technical officer to join Williams in the same role; It's a Sprint weekend! Watch Belgian GP Qualifying at 4pm on Friday live on Sky Sports F1

Following the sacking of Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer, vice president Bruno Famin discusses the changes and what the plans are moving forward

Alpine have sacked team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, while chief technical officer Pat Fry has left to join Formula 1 rivals Williams.

The exits are confirmed with the French team sixth in the constructors' championship after 11 rounds of the 2023 F1 season, following successive double DNFs for Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the British and Hungarian Grands Prix.

Szafnauer and Permane will remain in their roles for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, with the announcement having been made moments after practice ended at the Spa circuit on Friday.

Alpine Motorsports vice president Bruno Famin will take over from Szafnauer as interim team principal, while Alpine academy director Julian Rouse is named interim sporting director and technical director Matt Harman takes leadership on leadership of the "technical team".

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly collide after being hit from behind on the opening lap of the Hungarian GP

Fry, the only member of the trio who appears to have chosen to exit, will be able to begin work at Williams in November after taking up the same role with the British team.

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Fry replaces Francois-Xavier Demaison, who left Williams in December amid a shake-up that also saw James Vowles replaces Jost Capito as team principal.

"BWT Alpine F1 Team announces today it will part ways with Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer by mutual agreement following the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix," a team statement said.

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"Otmar will continue his duties as normal for this weekend's race in Belgium, before leaving the team ahead of the summer break. The team would like to thank Otmar for his hard work over the past 18 months and for leading the team in achieving fourth place in the 2022 Constructors' Championship. The team wishes him the best for the future.

"The team can also confirm it will part ways with Sporting Director Alan Permane by mutual agreement. Alan will also continue his role this weekend in Belgium before departing ahead of the summer break. After 34 distinguished years at Enstone, the team extends its thanks to Alan and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

Image: Alpine have dismissed sporting director Alan Permane

"The team also announces that Pat Fry will leave the team to continue his career in Formula 1 elsewhere."

The Alpine exits come little more than a week after Laurent Rossi was replaced as brand chief executive by Philippe Krief, amid apparent infighting at the Enstone-based team.

Having been promoted to Alpine Motorsports vice president - a position above Szafnauer - earlier in July, while also continuing to hold his previous role as managing director of the team's engine division, Famin has made a rapid ascent.

The Frenchman joined Alpine prior to the start of the 2022 season, having previously worked as director of operations at the FIA, the sport's governing body.

Szafnauer joins Rossi in losing role

Amid Alpine's highly disappointing start to their 2023 campaign, Rossi said at the Miami Grand Prix in May that "there would be consequences" stemming from the poor results, adding that "the buck" stopped with Szafnauer.

However, Rossi ultimately became the first senior leadership figure at Alpine to lose his position, and Szafnauer's reaction at last weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix suggested he believed his future with the team was secure.

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly both suffer car issues resulting in a double DNF at the British Grand Prix

Szafnauer said that the appointments of Krief and Famin "shouldn't have an impact whatsoever" on his management of the team, and added that the changes "will just mean that we're more like-minded in the way we go forward."

The former Aston Martin team principal has paid the price for Alpine's disappointing first half of the 2023 season, which sees them sit 120 points adrift of Ferrari, who currently hold the fourth position in which the French team finished last year.

Szafnauer joined Alpine ahead of the 2022 season as Marcin Budkowski's replacement and the Enstone-based team improved from fifth to fourth under the Romanian-American's leadership.

However, the season was overshadowed by star driver Fernando Alonso opting to join Aston Martin and McLaren poaching reserve driver Oscar Piastri after Alpine had named the Australian as Alonso's replacement.

Vowles: Fry 'perfect' for Williams

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 during Practice One at Spa, Vowles explained why he feels Fry is the "perfect" appointment for Williams.

"It was actually fairly easy, and I'll explain why," Vowles said.

"These things don't happen overnight, this was actually something that happened back in April time, when we came to terms over things.

Image: Pat Fry will join Williams as chief technical officer in November

"In the meantime, we've just been agreeing terms with Alpine as to how to do the exit in a nice way for them and a positive way for us.

"Pat comes with over 30 years of experience in the sport, he's won 66 races, he's worked across McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine - all of those teams in his tenure there performing incredibly well."

"When he went back to McLaren from 2018-20, you see that team turned around and really was back up in the sport and the constructors' championship.

"He's perfect for Williams, he rolls his sleeves up, he gets stuck in, he puts structures and systems in place, he's empowering - I really quite enjoy Pat and have much time for him, so I think it's a great signing on our behalf."

Fry joined Alpine as chassis technical director in 2020 before being promoted to chief technical officer at the start of 2022.

"I am thrilled to be joining Williams Racing as chief technical officer," Fry said. "The team has a rich heritage in Formula 1, and I am excited to contribute to its future success. I believe in the team's potential and, together, we will strive for excellence on and off the track."

Sky Sports F1's live Belgian GP schedule

Friday July 28
3.35pm: Belgian GP Qualifying build-up
4pm: Belgian GP Qualifying
6pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook

Saturday July 29
8.55am: Formula 3 Sprint Race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
2.30pm: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted's Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55am: Formula 2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday - Belgian GP build-up
2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag - Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted's Notebook

Next up is the Belgian GP, the final race before F1's summer break - watch all sessions of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from July 28-30. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.

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