In a brief statement, Alpine confirmed that its sports director, Marcin Budkowski , will not be in the 2022 Formula 1 season. The one who was one of the most important pieces of the French team in his first year with that nomenclature, agreed to leave his position to from January 13.
Laurent Rossi will temporarily take over as team manager so that the Enstone team can face the upcoming 2022 campaign in the best possible shape.
“I would like to thank Marcin Budkowski for his commitment and contribution to the team’s results over the last four years,” Rossi explained in the statement released by Alpine. “The team is fully focused on preparing the car for the first race in Bahrain and taking the performance step further.”
For his part, Budkowski commented: “I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the Renault management team then and now Alpine, working with such a talented and dedicated group of people. I will look forward to following the team’s progress in the coming seasons.”
In this way, Alpine is left without one of its most important figures in the Great Circus during the past year, in which they managed to win in Hungary and get on the podium in Qatar. Everything seems to indicate that Otmar Szafnauer will be the one to replace Budkowski, since the one who was the leader of Aston Martin (and Force India / Racing Point) for many seasons, announced that he would also leave the Silverstone structure.
We will have to wait for Enstone to give more information, although given the imminent start of the Formula 1 team presentation season, the French will soon confirm who will occupy Budkowski’s empty seat.
The Pole worked in the aerodynamics section at the Prost, Ferrari and McLaren teams, before becoming the head of this area in 2012. Two years later, in October 2014, he joined the FIA and, as Laurent Mekies, he left preparing to take on some of the responsibilities of Charlie Whiting .
He rose to be named FIA technical sporting coordinator in April 2015, and head of F1’s technical department in January 2017. However, due to an apparent lack of opportunities for promotion, he decided to go to the Renault team in 2018, and was Cyril Abiteboul ‘s right-hand man until the end of 2020.
