For Laurent Rossi, the drivers are also the directors of driving
A few weeks before the start of the 2023 Formula 1 season, Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine, spoke about the importance of drivers returning to development teams in an interview given to France 3 Normandie. He also addresses the relationship between Ocon and Gasly.
The French Alpine team has its chassis design department as well as the one dedicated to race preparation in Enstone. This includes their essential simulator, which plays a crucial role nowadays. When the drivers are not on the circuits of the calendar, they spend most of their time in the simulator, constantly contributing to the development of their car. As Laurent Rossi explains, it is an essential part.
The drivers are at the end of the chain but in reality, they are the entire chain. And often, I call them the directors of piloting, to give them a role like the others. It’s not just the person we put in the car and who will cross the finish line, that is obviously very important, but they are actually involved in the entire chain because they provide constant feedback on the performance of the car, says the CEO of Alpine to France 3 Normandie.
« One gets the impression that F1 is a sport done by few people and in immediacy, but the reality is quite different. A team is a real ant hill where each person has a specific role without redundant tasks.
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Two Norman drivers to propel Alpine.
This year, Esteban Ocon will be partnered with a new teammate whom he knows very well, Pierre Gasly, two similar profiles who come from the same place.
« In France, performance seems to be very Norman today,” notes the CEO of the group. « We are very happy about it because we are deeply attached to Alpine’s roots [including Dieppe in Normandy]. »
« They are the same age, with the same Grand Prix experience, with around a hundred Grand Prix races under their belt, the same number of podium finishes, victories, and accumulated points in their careers. So they are both incredibly similar, which is great because it means they perform well when given a race car.
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And when it comes to discussing the first season of collaboration for the Normans, Laurent Rossi warns: “They both know that everyone is waiting to see if they will get along. And if they don’t, they will be the ones losing. It’s up to them to show that at 26 years old they have matured and are in a phase of maturity that will transition them from quick drivers to drivers of a potentially world champion team!”
