F1 Rumour: Alpine CEO Wanted Mattia Binotto To Replace Otmar Szafnauer As Team Boss

Laurent Rossi is said to have been in touch with Mattia Binotto over the team principal role but was turned down.

The Alpine team, led by boss Otmar Szafnauer, finds itself facing increasing challenges as it strives to close the gap with competitors Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. Recent rumours have even surfaced suggesting that Mattia Binotto, who stepped down as Ferrari team principal before Christmas, has been approached to assume the role of team boss for the French racing stable.

Aston Martin and Alpine, both aiming to maintain their positions as the top teams behind Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari, have encountered contrasting outcomes. Aston Martin, so far, has managed to deliver results, while Alpine currently occupies sixth place in the constructors' championship. Alpine's performance falls behind that of McLaren, a team that has also struggled to meet expectations in the first five races.

According to formu1a.uno, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has reportedly reached out to Mattia Binotto, seeking a potential replacement for Szafnauer. Expressing dissatisfaction with Szafnauer's leadership, the Frenchman appears to be exploring the possibility of a new team boss. However, Binotto has declined the offer from the French racing stable, indicating that he will not be assuming the role of Alpine's team boss at this time.

Rossi has been open about his discontent with the team branding their start to the 2023 season as "amateurish". Pierre Gasly is currently sitting in tenth place in the drivers' standings with 8 points with his teammate Esteban Ocon in twelfth place with 6 points. 

Gasly has had to retire from one race so far in Australia after he crashed into Ocon, also taking him out of the race. Other than that he managed to cross the line in ninth place in both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, fourteenth place in Azerbaijan, and eighth place in Miami. 

Ocon has suffered from retiring in two races, Australia and Bahrain. He finished the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in eighth position, Azerbaijan in fifteenth, and Miami in ninth. 

It is unclear what the team are going to be doing next if dramatic improvements are not shown, and no formal announcements have been made yet.