Alpine not 'panicking' about recent F1 reliability issues, according to sporting director

Alpine sporting director Alan Permane recently stated that the team is not in panic mode regarding reliability issues they faced during the 2023 F1 season.

The French team experienced some reliability issues during the first few races of the season, especially with Pierre Gasly's car. However, Permane feels that these were not too big of an issue.

Speaking to the media, he first explained how a team must first check each and every part and how it has been working with other car parts. He said (via motorsports.com):

“You just have to go back and look at the life of everything. Look at if [a part] has been mistreated in any way—has it had a hard life somehow? Try and understand why that has failed."

Though Alpine's sporting director acknowledges the issues his team has been facing, he maintained that these were not too concerning and that the engineers would iron them out. He concluded:

“Yes, we have had some reliability problems and we do need to get on top of them. But there isn't one thing that we're panicking about. We've had some niggles and I'm sure we will iron them out."

Both Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon have experienced issues with their cars. The former suffered a steering wheel power issue in Canada and a hydraulic leak problem in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Ocon missed most of the first practice session in Baku due to a gearbox issue.

Though the French outfit is gradually finding its footing in the pecking order, they are still plagued by a few reliability problems.

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Alpine CEO on Ryan Reynolds and other investors acquire a major stake in the team

A group of investors, including Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments, recently bought a 24% stake in Alpine.

This is a massive deal for the French outfit, as they are pushing further to essentially become a top team in F1. Speaking about the partnership, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said:

“This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels. First, Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, and Maximum Effort Investments, as international players with a strong track record in the sports industry, will bring their recognized expertise to boost our media and marketing strategy, essential to support our sporting performance over the long term."

Alpine are currently fifth in the constructors' championship. Pierre Gasly is 10th with 15 points, and Esteban Ocon is ninth with 29 points in the drivers' championship table.