Alpine: Engineer Bob Bell leaves and joins Aston Martin

Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished 17th and 18th respectively in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend

Championship-winning engineer Bob Bell has left his advisory role with the struggling Alpine team.

Bell was technical director when Alpine won their last world titles, as Renault with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.

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.

The 65-year-old has joined Aston Martin as technical executive director, where he will be reunited with Alonso.

The Spaniard said: "Those kinds of senior roles, they bring always background knowledge about how to run a competitive team and how to have a good structure in the factory so I think the contribution of Bob hopefully brings Aston into a better level and that's the aim so I am happy to welcome him."

A spokesperson for Alpine said the move was "a true mutual agreement".

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.

A source close to Bell described him leaving as "a massive loss" and said the move had been "100%" his decision.

Bell's departure follows those of technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer this week.

Their leaving led to a reshuffle of the technical management of Alpine.

The French team, owned by car giant Renault, finished sixth in the constructors' championship last year.

But they have started the season with a car that is overweight and lacking in downforce after they decided to change their design philosophy.

The engine is also the least powerful in the field.

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.