David Sanchez, after a brief stint at McLaren, found himself abruptly dismissed. Sanchez, once a prized acquisition from Ferrari, did not fit the vision that was conceived in Woking. Reportedly, Alpine, following a disastrous start to the season, is keen to offer the French engineer an opportunity. This would mark a comeback for Sanchez, who began his career in Enstone.
The Japanese site as-web.jp, following the race at Suzuka, has learned that David Sanchez may be joining Alpine. Some rumors suggest that the Frenchman will be appointed as Chief Technical Officer, following the recent departures of Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer. “Since Alpine lacks an undisputed technical leader, David Sanchez will become the new team boss,” writes as-web.jp. Team boss Bruno Famin recently appointed three engineers to share the duties of technical director.
David Sanchez would undoubtedly be welcomed at Alpine. The team from Enstone is currently languishing at the bottom of the championship, with their A524 car struggling to perform. Drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are visibly struggling with the lack of performance. The GP of Japan, where both Alpine’s were again tail-enders, was not easy.
After a reasonable qualification, Esteban Ocon fell back in the ranking on Sunday. “It was the first step back since Bahrain,” the Frenchman sighed. “It felt like I couldn’t fight. The rest are simply on another level.” The arrival of a high-ranking engineer like David Sanchez could make a difference for Alpine.
Bruno Famin knows he has to roll up his sleeves. He too was disappointed with the race at Suzuka. “There is a lot to do,” he admitted. “We have started to make some changes to our technical organization. My role is to bring everything together and change what needs to be changed.” It remains to be seen whether Sanchez will play a role in this.
