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Championship-winning engineer Bob Bell has left his advisory role with the struggling Alpine team.<\/b><\/p>\n
Bell was technical director when Alpine won their last world titles, as Renault with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.<\/p>\n
He had been in an advisory role since 2018, but is the latest departure in a series for a team that has started the 2024 season as the slowest on the grid.<\/p>\n
The 65-year-old is set to join Aston Martin in an operational role, where he will be reunited with Spaniard Alonso.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Alpine said the move was “a true mutual agreement”.<\/p>\n
Bell had been effectively part-time, the team said, working in a non-technical role for Alpine Labs, which explores the use of racing technology in other fields. The project he had been working on had ended.<\/p>\n
A source close to Bell described him leaving as “a massive loss” and said the move had been “100%” his decision.<\/p>\n
Bell’s departure follows those of technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer this week. <\/p>\n
Their leaving led to a reshuffle of the technical management of Alpine.<\/p>\n
The French team, owned by car giant Renault, finished sixth in the constructors’ championship last year.<\/p>\n
But they have started the season with a car that is overweight and lacking in downforce after they decided to change their design philosophy.<\/p>\n
The engine is also the least powerful in the field.<\/p>\n
Drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly qualified on the back row of the grid at the first race of the season in Bahrain and finished 17th and 18th respectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n