03/06/2024
NEWS STORY
Alpine has confirmed the departure of veteran operations director Rob White after twenty years with the French team.
Seemingly, White was sacked by team boss Bruno Famin earlier this week, with team personnel informed of his departure on Wednesday.
Ironically, at a time former boss, Flavio Briatore is linked with a return to the team, White joined the Enstone-based outfit in 2004 as technical director engines, in time to spearhead Fernando Alonso's back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.
Having graduated from Southampton University with a degree in mechanical engineering, White joined Cosworth to work as a development engineer on its IndyCar programme.
Subsequently promoted to the role of support manager for Cosworth USA, White headed to California, returning four years later as chief engineer to the engine manufacturer's F1 programme, remaining there until 2003.
"As part of the team's wider operational restructure, we can confirm the departure of Rob White," said a team spokesperson today in reaction to online reports of White's departure.
"The team is thankful for Rob's efforts during his long career both at Enstone and at Viry-Chatillon, where he led the championship-winning engine project in 2005 and 2006. We wish him the best in his future endeavours."
White's sacking is the latest in a series of bombshells to hit the French outfit, which only last weekend saw its two drivers collide on the opening lap of the Monaco Grand Prix, and currently stands ninth in the team standings.
Previously, team boss Otmar Szafnauer parted company with the team, and is understood to still be on gardening leave despite leaving in mid-2023. His departure was followed by other high-profile losses including sporting director Alan Permane and Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry.
As Permane headed to RB and Fry to Williams, Former racing director Davide Brivio returned to MotoGP while technical director Matt Harman and aerodynamics head Dirk de Beer both left in March.
As if this wasn't enough, Bob Bell, who had been Technical Director Chassis at the time White headed the engine division, and was most recently serving in an advisory capacity, also left in March to join Aston Martin as technical executive director.
The team appears to be in freefall, but no doubt it is valued at $2bn by the Zak Brown's of this world.