F1 | AlphaTauri: Permane brings his experience to Milton Keynes

The former sporting director of Alpine, Alan Permane, is ready to return to the Formula 1 paddock. According to several sources consulted by Motorsport.com, the destination will be AlphaTauri, a team that will change its name in the coming weeks.

The news of the conclusion of the relationship between Permane and Alpine, due to the restructuring of the team's management which also led to the dismissal of Otmar Szafnauer, had shaken the paddock last July.

Permane was a key figure in the Enstone team, having worked in the team for 34 years passing through the various managements that followed: Benetton, Renault, Lotus and finally Alpine. His return to an operational role in Formula 1 was taken for granted and, at the end of the summer, it was Christian Horner himself who underlined Permane's merits and anticipated his return.

“I'm sure we'll see him here again soon – declared Horner – I have no doubts about that. He is one of the most experienced engineers ever, and even if I have never worked with him, I think that sometimes there should be more respect for a professional who has 34 years of hard work behind him in Formula 1, a very long period that he played an important part in the world championships won in Enstone first with Michael Schumacher and then with Fernando Alonso”.

It is therefore not surprising that Permane's return to Formula 1 will take place within the Red Bull orbit. While awaiting official confirmation, it is not yet clear what his role will be in the AlphaTauri organization chart, but it is possible to hypothesize a top role in the program which is transferring various activities that were previously carried out in Faenza to the Milton Keynes headquarters. His arrival in the team is another piece of the team's restructuring program that began with the arrival of the new team principal Laurent Mekies and the CEO, Peter Bayer.”