- Briatore remains in control of team despite not being official Alpine employee
- Nielsen will manage day-to-day running of team operations
- Claro throws commercial support behind under-pressure Franco Colapinto
The Alpine Formula One team have appointed Steve Nielsen as managing director amid a swathe of senior hires ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Nielsen will oversee the day-to-day running of the Enstone-based outfit and will report directly to executive adviser Flavio Briatore. Notably, Nielsen’s title stops short of the team principal role held by his predecessor, Oliver Oakes.
Oakes resigned in May after just ten months in the role.
Briatore remains in control of the team despite not being an official Alpine employee and there is still no clarity on who will replace Luca De Meo as chief executive of Renault Group, a decision that will likely determine the future of the team.
Nielsen will officially start as Alpine’s managing director on 1st September prior to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza Circuit. He has worked across numerous roles in Formula One, including as sporting director for Fernando Alonso’s two world championships at Renault in 2005 and 2006.
Most recently, Nielsen worked as sporting director for both Formula One and the International Automobile Federation (FIA), but left the latter role after less than a year in December 2023.
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Further hires have also been made at Alpine, with Kris Midgley joining as head of aerodynamic development and Guy Martin as global marketing director.
Midgley will report to executive technical director David Sanchez and moves to the team from Ferrari ahead of the new technical regulations in 2026.
Martin joins the team from Visa where he worked across the company’s sponsorship and partnership strategy, including its title sponsorship of the Racing Bulls team.
In addition, Alpine have announced a deal with Latin American telecommunications company Claro in an agreement that sees the América Móvil subsidiary become a regional team partner.
The agreement will focus on Argentinean driver Franco Colapinto, with Claro branding to be present on his race helmet and cap. This is a similar arrangement to Claro’s commercial support of Sauber through their Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto.
Despite concerns over his performance, Colapinto undeniably brings a commercial value that most replacements would struggle to match.
“I am happy to have partnered with Claro – América Móvil – and to enjoy their support this year,” said Colapinto.
“Claro’s dedication to connectivity and innovation mirrors everything we push for on track: precision, speed, and seamless performance. I’m proud to unite our brands and bring a bit of that Latin America to every Grand Prix.”
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