Szafnauer critical of Alpine: ‘Look at Red Bull’

Otmar Szafnauer is no longer Alpine's team boss. The French racing stable decided by mutual agreement to break with the American-Romanian team boss, who has been in Formula 1 for decades. The parting came somewhat as a surprise. Szafnauer tells SiriusXM in a podcast why he got the sack from the team.

"Alpine's senior management, like everyone else in Formula 1, wants instant success," Szafnauer begins. "But, unfortunately, it doesn't work like that at all. I told them it takes time, and I think I can say that with my 26 years of experience in Formula 1. They wanted success faster than is possible."

The working structure within the team was also unworkable, the former Aston Martin team boss said. According to the 59-year-old engineer, everything had to go through management, whatever was decided. "[Almost everything] was not reported to me, but around me. The parent company wanted to have a lot of control in a lot of areas of the racing team, more than I have ever seen."

'Look at Red Bull'

That way of working cannot lead to success, Szafnauer thinks:"[At] Mercedes or Red Bull all the commercial aspects and communication [report] to Christian (Horner). Guess who’s going to win? Red Bull."

Szafnauer's departure was part of a bigger clean-up. Sporting director Alan Permane also left the team, and Pat Fry made the move to Williams. Bruno Famin, the vice president of Alpine Motorsports, will take the honours as team boss for the time being.