Former Alpine employee accuses Luca de Meo of 'cowardice' and 'avoidance of responsibility' after French team's decision to drop Renault power units

Former Alpine F1 employee Pierre Chauty blasted Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo for his 'cowardice' and 'avoidance of responsibility' while dealing with the team's engine department in Viry-Chatillon. It has been widely reported that the French team would close their engine department and become a customer of the Mercedes-HPP for the new engine regulations.

The French manufacturer have failed to get their power units to the same level as their rivals Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda in the last couple of years and have lagged in terms of pure performance.

In his post on LinkedIn, Chauty, who used to previously work as Alpine’s former legal manager, didn't hold back on his comments regarding the decision-making and the leadership of de Meo:

"This situation is a direct result of the disastrous leadership of Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group. De Meo’s failure to recognize and rectify the mistakes made by Laurent Rossi for over two and a half years is inexcusable.

"De Meo's lack of acknowledgment of his own failures and his poor judgment in appointing Rossi have significantly harmed Alpine and the entire Renault Group. Moreover, De Meo did not even have the courage to announce the end of F1 engine production himself, reflecting his cowardice and avoidance of responsibility."

He also questioned the appointment of Laurent Rossi as the Alpine CEO, as he claimed that it only brought on people losing their jobs due to politics.

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Alpine driver Esteban Ocon previews F1 Belgian GP this weekend

Alpine F1 driver Esteban Ocon has said that he still gets excited to drive at the iconic Spa-Froncorchamps track, where he made his debut with Manor Racing in 2016.

As per PitPass, the Frenchman said:

"After racing in Formula 1 for a number of years, it is still an incredible feeling to be racing at Circuit Spa-Francorchamps where I made my Formula 1 debut back in 2016.

"It is a classic track and the longest on the calendar, which makes it a unique test for us drivers with its long straights and variety of corners."

Ocon emphasized the unpredictable nature of the weather in Spa "considering the size of the track and how conditions can vary from one section of the circuit to another."

It will be the final Belgian GP for the 27-year-old as an Alpine F1 driver, as he's set to leave at the end of the season and join Haas F1 on a multi-year deal.

The Frenchman has many abiding memories with the team, including his first race win in Hungary in 2021. That remains the only victory of the Enstone-based team since their return to the sport in 2016 under the Renault umbrella.