The highly respected F1 veteran, who previously held several stints with the Enstone-based squad under its former guises as Benetton, Renault, and Lotus, will officially begin his new role on September 1 ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

He will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations at the team’s UK facility and will report directly to executive advisor Flavio Briatore.

Nielsen’s previous tenure with the team included its championship-winning seasons in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, when he served as Sporting Director.

Most recently, Nielsen held senior roles at both the FIA and Formula 1 Management, where he played a key part in coordinating teams and race operations. His leadership proved crucial in helping the sport resume safely during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Alongside Nielsen’s appointment, Alpine also announced several other senior hires as part of its ongoing restructuring process, which began after the departure of Team Principal Ollie Oakes in May.

Former Ferrari aerodynamicist Kris Midgley — who also worked at Enstone between 2007 and 2013 — joins as Head of Aerodynamic Development. Guy Martin, with a background in the finance sector at Visa, has been named the team’s new Global Marketing Director.

The trio of appointments comes as Alpine continues its search for a path back to competitiveness following a difficult first half of the 2025 season, with the team currently sitting at the bottom of the constructors’ standings.