Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen has urged calm and stability as the team works to recover from a difficult campaign in Formula 1.
Nielsen joined the Enstone-based outfit in September, stepping into his current role after Oliver Oakes’s sudden departure following Miami.
His arrival meant he was working again with Flavio Briatore, who returned to the Renault-based squad as an Executive Advisor in 2024.
This move was the latest in a long list of Alpine management reshuffles. Nielsen thinks these changes must stop for the team to progress.
With the structure appearing more settled, Nielsen says Alpine must prepare to be patient as it bids to work its way back up the pecking order.
“There’s been too many changes over the last few years at Enstone,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I don’t criticise any of my predecessors, but it’s time for patience, common sense, and consistency.
“We want the team to be better, and patience and Formula 1 don’t go well together, but that’s the task.”
Nielsen explained that rebuilding Alpine will not be quick or simple.
This comes despite Briatore repeatedly stating that Alpine should be fighting for podiums in 2026, when new technical regulations come into effect.
That season will also see Alpine switch to Mercedes customer power units. Nielsen, however, struck a more cautious tone, warning against expecting instant progress.
“We have to spend the next few years building, and it’s a slow, grinding process,” he said. “It’s F1, there are no magic bullets.
“You just have to fix a million details – in place, people. More than anything, it’s a people business. So, I’ve kind of relearned that lesson, if you like.”
Alpine’s struggles in 2025 have been well documented. The team ended car development by June.
While rivals continued to improve, Alpine remained at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with only a fraction of its nearest competitor’s points.
Despite that, Nielsen insists the team’s core strength remains intact. “It’s a cliche, but it’s a racing team,” he said.
“It’s full of people with racing spirit. It’s had mixed results recently, but I think there’s a passion and a will to put it back to where it has been in the past.
“The dedication is huge, from the top to the bottom of the company. It’s my job to coordinate that, strengthen the areas that are good, strengthen the areas where we are weak, and bring some common sense and consistency to the management.”
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