Alpine has hired a COO with no Formula 1 experience ahead of the 2024 season – The same position has also been created for the Renault factory in Viry
There was a major upheaval at Alpine last summer. At that time, several high-ranking employees left the Formula 1 team from Enstone, including team boss Otmar Szafnauer, Pat Fry and also the long-standing sports director Alan Permane.
The restructuring continued right up to the end, as Bruno Famin, who succeeded Szafnauer as Team Principal, revealed at the presentation of the new Alpine A524 for the 2024 Formula 1 season that two new COO positions have been created for this year.
One concerns the Formula 1 team in Enstone and will be taken over by John Woods, while the other relates to the Renault engine factory in Viry. Audrey Vastroux, who had already been working for the company in various positions since 2006, has been promoted.
The appointment of Woods, who actually comes from the automotive sector, is somewhat more surprising. “The position of COO is primarily a back-office position,” says Famin about the role, which can be translated into German as “leitender Geschäftsführer.”
Famin: Formula 1 experience not necessary for the job
“We need someone who knows the business. At the moment he is at Lotus Cars, and he was at McLaren Automotive for a long time. He’s a man who knows his way around the factory,” says Famin about Woods, who has worked for the companies Famin mentioned on a rotating basis since 2005.
So far, he has had no contact with Formula 1, which is not a problem according to Famin. He explains: “He’s not a Formula 1 guy, but [for this job] we don’t need a Formula 1 guy either. Once again, it’s a back-office job. “
“He is very experienced, very pragmatic and close to the people,” he describes Woods, adding: “He is not afraid to make changes and he will have a new perspective on what we are doing.”
The team boss also explains that he is not afraid that the new structure will cause problems in terms of responsibilities. “We have a Technical Director and [John Woods] will not interfere with the work of the Technical Director,” said Famin.
Famin is also hoping for personal relief
“His job will be to give the Technical Director and the Sporting Director the resources to work, keep to the budget and so on,” he explains, citing the extensive Formula 1 calendar as one of the reasons for creating the new positions.
24 races are planned for 2024, and Famin emphasizes: “Someone who is 100 percent based in Viry and someone who is 100 percent based in Enstone will help us a lot in the day-to-day business, but also in developing improvements in our processes.”
“I really hope that these two COOs in Enstone and in Viry will be a great support both for me and for everyone else on site,” said Famin, who in addition to his role as Formula 1 Team Principal is also Vice President of Alpine Motorsport as a whole.
He also hopes that the two new COOs will take some of the pressure off him personally this year.
