During a weekend where the French F1 team revealed the departure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane as part of a reorganization, Prost has expressed his disappointment with the current state of the team.
The Frenchman, who was an advisor and non-executive director for the Renault/Alpine squad from 2015 until 2022, thinks that the French sportscar maker has made a critical error in allowing too much corporate influence.
“I have a deep affection for this team, and it saddens and troubles me to witness its present condition,” he expressed during an extensive interview with L’Equipe.
“It deserves a better outcome and possesses all the necessary elements for success. I firmly believe that reflecting on past events is crucial in comprehending the reasons for failure.”
“If you look at the great success stories from the last 30 years, you will see a simple structure – unlike an industrial organisation chart – built around three or four strong personalities, coupled with a winning driver.”
Pierre Gasly, Alpine A523, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Prost cited examples of Jean Todt working with Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, Mercedes having Toto Wolff, Niki Lauda and James Allison alongside Lewis Hamilton and Christian Horner and Adrian Newey’s alliance helping deliver titles for Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.
He also mentioned that in every instance, the parent companies were led by CEOs who comprehended and endorsed the endeavors of the F1 team – a deficiency he believes exists at Renault.
“I cannot reword.”
Red Bull’s choice to not collaborate with Porsche is actually a result of their resistance to comply with the weighty decisions made by the board, specifically those individuals who lack knowledge about F1.
During my time at Renault, I frequently heard discussions at the headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt suggesting that F1 was an uncomplicated sport that could be effectively overseen remotely by the current personnel.
It was a significant error, as demonstrated by the recent dismissal of Laurent Rossi, the last of the directors, by Luca de Meo one week ago.
“Laurent Rossi is the best example of the Dunning-Kruger effect, that of an inept manager who thinks he can overcome his incompetence with his arrogance and his lack of humanity towards his people.
For a period of 18 months, he served as the superior of Alpine and believed he had a complete grasp of the situation right from the beginning. However, this assumption was completely incorrect. Instead of continuing the team’s progress, which had been steadily growing since 2016 and resulted in numerous podium finishes and a victory, his management actually hindered their momentum.
The concept of the Dunning-Kruger effect pertains to individuals who, due to their limited understanding and abilities in a specific field, mistakenly believe they possess a higher level of competence than they actually do.
Although Bruno Famin, the interim team principal of Alpine, believes that the team has a strategy to attain success swiftly in Formula 1, Prost remains unconvinced.
“He expressed optimism that the recent decision made on Friday, involving the replacement of certain individuals, would serve as a beneficial wake-up call for the team,” he stated.
“When reflecting on Renault’s achievements, one will discover the presence of Flavio Briatore, a notable figure, and Fernando Alonso, an esteemed driver. They were backed by a management team consisting of Patrick Faure and Louis Schweitzer, who, during that period, embraced the approach of prompt decision-making by experts.”
“It is interesting to observe that major companies often invite F1 directors to management conferences to discuss the topics of reactivity and flexibility. However, it is uncommon for company managers to be invited to speak about F1.”
Benjamin Vinel contributed to the reporting of this information.
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