Alpine sign Sanchez to oversee team’s technical department

Alpine have announced the appointment of David Sanchez in the newly-created role of Executive Technical Director. It marks a return to the Enstone-based team for Sanchez, who left McLaren just last month.

Sanchez, who joins Alpine immediately, will oversee the team’s recently-restructured technical department, with Ciaron Pilbeam (Technical Director - Performance), Joe Burnell (Technical Director - Engineering), and David Wheater (Technical Director - Aerodynamics) all reporting to him.

French engineer Sanchez started his F1 career at Enstone in 2005 as a junior aerodynamicist for the then-Renault team, and later spent over 10 years with Ferrari, heading their aerodynamics department and later working as Head of Vehicle Concept, before signing with McLaren last winter.

READ MORE: McLaren announce several organisational changes as new signing Sanchez leaves team

“I’m excited by this challenge at Alpine,” said Sanchez, who will report directly to Team Principal and VP, Alpine Motorsports, Bruno Famin. “I’m looking forward to working at Enstone again, the place where I started my Formula 1 career. This team has always had so many fantastic people involved and there is clearly so much potential to unlock.

“We have a big task ahead to improve on-track performance and it is this type of challenge that motivates me. I’m very much ready to begin and look forward to working with the Enstone-Viry technical teams again with the sole aim of bringing regular success back to this great team.”

Alpine have experienced a difficult start to their 2024 campaign, with drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon yet to score a point, and Famin is confident that Sanchez’s appointment will help contribute to turning their form around.

“This is a key appointment to ensure we are optimising everything we do as a team and focusing on the right performance areas,” said Famin. “It is clear that the performance of the car and development path has not moved at a sufficient pace relative to our ambitions as a team. We look forward to welcoming David and working hard together to achieve the ultimate success.”

READ MORE: Ocon and Gasly hail step in ‘right direction’ for Alpine after narrowly missing out on points in China