Alpine announce departure of long-term senior figure

Alpine has confirmed Rob White has left the team as part of a "wider operational restructure".

The operations director joined Renault F1 in 2004, and was part of the team that won back-to-back drivers' and constructors' championships in 2005 and 2006.

In those 20 years, White held a number of positions within the organisation, with the 58-year-old having been in his current role at 'team Enstone' since 2016, prior to it being rebranded as Alpine in 2021.

"As part of the team's wider operational restructure, we can confirm the departure of Rob White," Alpine said in a statement confirming White's exit from the team.

"Rob most recently served as Operations Director working at Enstone. The team is thankful for Rob’s efforts during his long career both at Enstone and at Viry-Châtillon, where he led the championship winning engine project in 2005 and 2006. We wish him the best in his future endeavours."

Having worked in IndyCar earlier in his career, White moved into F1 in the late 1990s, when he took up the position of chief engineer on Cosworth's F1 project. He stayed in the role from 1997 until 2003 - three years prior to Ford leaving the series.

The American marque will return to F1 in 2026, partnering Red Bull as the constructors' champions produce its own power units for the first time.