continuum16 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 04, 2022 9:56 pm
I think that this situation, regardless of how it plays out, should lead to a wholehearted rethink of the "junior academy" structure. Alpine/Renault have never had a junior driver actually race for the team, despite having this "junior academy" of theirs. What is the point? They supported Zhou, who went to Alfa and now races against Alpine. I can't think of anyone else who has ever been part of the "Renault Academy" (I'm talking 2016-present, not people like RoGro) who has even made the F1 grid? And when they finally do have one, they mismanage the driver to the point where he leaves before he has even done one lap in an official session. Really they have a track record of driver mismanagement, stemming all the way back to 2016:
2016* - Signed Hulkenberg for 2017 and wanted Magnussen, but would not offer more than a 1-year deal, so he leaves, leaving them with Palmer who was clearly not their first pick.
*A late start after buying Lotus, I won't slam them for Magnussen and Palmer because there was no time to get their act together
2017 - Fired Palmer before the season even ended, and replaced him with Sainz on loan from Red Bull.
Can't blame them on that on... Palmer was pretty bad.
2018 - Hired Ricciardo for a huge fee and fired Sainz after one season, despite doing a respectable job, and replacing Hulkenberg as de facto number 1.
Ocon was supposed to be hired by Renault (deal with Toto and I think almost signed) but then Ricciardo became available... Can you blame them... I blame the stupid money they paid him to get him!
2019 - Fired Hulkenberg and hired Ocon alongside Ricciardo despite Ocon not even being in F1.
Hulkenberg threw away a podium in Germany with a crash... Guy just could never get on that podium - forever his reputation in F1 despite having some changes to get it... that was probably his last chance and he blew it and had he got it, it would have been difficult to justify getting rid of him for Ocon. Plus, probably felt bad about what happened with Ocon and Toto - French team needs a French driver...
2020 - After being ditched by Ricciardo before the season even started, they replaced him with Alonso, a driver who despite being immensely talented is known to be a management handful, rather than planning for the future.
Cyril needed a headline after having egg on his face with Daniel.
A 2 year deal was not bad for a 40 year old, out of the sport for 2 years it could have been the Michael Shumacher version 2.0 all over again... Plus Alonso could not get another seat anywhere else. If Danny had stayed, I don't think Mclaren would have taken him back, but locked up Carlos to stay with them and Ferrari would have probably said no either. We know RB and Merc did not want him even for free. Alonso's has a reputation with teams and it is very real. He got a bit lucky and used Alpine IMO
2021 - Sign Ocon to a three year contract despite being soundly beaten by his teammate the previous season.
He was out for a whole season and did not have much experience to fall back on like Alonso or Schumacher. Struggled in the beginning but improved as the season went on- got a podium the following season! and showed good improvement.
When their junior driver wins F2 they fail to get him into a race seat at their team or another team, or even another series.
One of the main problems is that they lack a junior team or at least an alliance with a smaller team to feed academy drivers into the system. Look at RB and Merc and Ferrari... Fault of Renault for not playing big and spending the money to get it going.
2022 - Faced with the question to give the remaining seat to Alonso or Piastri for 2023, they procrastinate to the point where their first option has signed with another team behind their back, and their second option appears to have done the same.
IMO Alonso should have given Alpine the chance to match it, but instead gave them false information that he was fine with it and going to sign only to hid behind AM's twitter account! Not cool or professional to do to a team that helped you win your only 2WC and crashed a car on purpose so that you can win a GP, plus one that took a gamble on your return after 2 years away. - Alpine did the right thing IMO and put the team first rather than the driver. He is going on 42 and 1 year deal + option for extension seemed right in my book. I don't think any other team boss would have done different (maybe Cyril). But Alonso thought different and that's fine, but if he really wanted to stay he could have tried to negotiate with Alpine and given them the chance to match the deal. Obviously valves Stroll over his F1 family from the past... 4th place is probably out of reach now as Alonso will be getting his tan on a lounge chair on the side of the track... rather than help the cause. This did not end well.
With the exception of Ocon, no driver has been at Alpine/Renault for more than 2 seasons.
Agree, I could not figure out why Rossi did a 3 year or 4 year deal instead of a two year - made no sense to me.