Alpine officially confirms Jason Somerville as Deputy Technical Director
Alpine has officially confirmed the appointment of Jason Somerville as the team's new deputy technical director â a newly created role within the Enstone-based outfit that signals a clear intent to strengthen its technical leadership structure.
Somerville began his duties immediately upon confirmation of the signing, reporting directly to executive technical director David Sanchez. His arrival concludes a period of transition for the aerodynamicist, who wrapped up his responsibilities with the FIA as head of aerodynamics earlier this week. As previously reported, his move to Alpine had been anticipated, and the team has now made it official.
A Return to Enstone
For Somerville, this appointment is as much a homecoming as it is a new challenge. He previously worked at the Enstone factory during its Lotus era in 2010 and 2011, meaning he returns to familiar surroundings â albeit to a team with considerably different ambitions and a reshaped technical hierarchy.
The role of deputy technical director is a fresh addition to Alpine's organisational chart, underlining the strategic importance the team has placed on this hire. Somerville steps into a structure that puts him at the heart of the team's performance development, working alongside Sanchez in what appears to be a concerted effort to build technical depth at Enstone.
Somerville's Words on His Return
Speaking on his appointment, Somerville made clear just how eager he is to return to the competitive arena after his time on the regulatory side of the sport.
"I am really excited to be returning to Enstone and working with Flavio, Steve, and David in this new role," he said. "I have been away from the competitive side of motorsport within a team environment for a few years now and I'm relishing the opportunity to be back in the thick of it, hunting milliseconds and fighting our rivals for points and hopefully silverware."
His ambition is unambiguous. After years operating within the FIA's technical structures, Somerville's focus is firmly back on performance â and on contributing to Alpine's push up the grid.
"I am looking forward to getting underway and joining the superb team of engineers, designers, and aerodynamicists at the factory and hopefully contributing to some of the team's success in the not too distant future," he added.
A Statement of Intent
The creation of a dedicated deputy technical director role is itself noteworthy. It suggests Alpine is not simply filling a vacancy, but deliberately architecting a more robust technical command structure â one built to support sustained development and long-term competitiveness. With Somerville's aerodynamic expertise now added to the mix, the team's engineering core takes on a more formidable shape heading into the months ahead.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.