Obviously, all eyes are now on him at Alpine F1. After several changes within the organization chart of the tricolor brand, we imagine that the Formula 1 team will also be retouched. Because something is not working right now. Also, the umpteenth zero point last Sunday (Hungarian GP) did not help a crisis situation in which the team finds itself, almost since the start of the season.
Alpine F1 failed to meet set targets this year
And Otmar Szafnauer could be the ideal fuse. However, the person concerned denies being in the hot seat, highlighting “the word” which would have been given to him by the big boss.
“We mustn’t forget that Laurent now takes care of special projects. Yes, he hired me, but Luca also hired me, and it was Luca de Meo who met me in the end and convinced me to join his project. The project was the Alpine project with the 100 race plan, and I think we are at about 30 races. We therefore still have around 60 races to go, which represents three more years to start winning.” declared Szafnauer to our colleagues from Motorsport, not long ago.
“That takes time. It took everyone a long time. I know Luca is a man of his word, and he gave me his word on 100 runs to start winning, and sometimes you take a half step back to take two steps forward. So I have no worries that Luca will keep his word and leave me the necessary 100 runs.”
“As you know, mercedes bought a team that had won the championship, and it took him five years to win it again. Red Bull, which did well, bought Jaguar, which was a mid-table team, and it took them five years to start winning. It seems like that’s what it takes, so it’s four to five years. One hundred runs is realistic. We continue to work on it.”
Arguments that stand up, of course. So it would not be shocking if the CEO of Renault leaves him at least until the start of the 2024 season. In addition, Otmar mentions another crucial point to achieve the objectives set, stability.
“The general stability in these types of teams, when you manage 950 to 1000 people, is absolutely crucial. The reason is that we all try to put together the best possible teams and we seek to understand who are the right elements in the areas that we are lacking. A team manager does a lot to convince people to join his team, and if Toto said ‘Join me, it doesn’t matter where you come from, but know that I will be leaving in six months or a year and a half’, then people would be reluctant to join his structure. Christian and Toto have been there for a long time and it helps to improve and facilitate the recruitment of the right people.”
Nevertheless, a flaw exists in the defense of the Alpine F1 Team Principal. Namely that the objective set (among others, by itself…) has not been achieved this season and probably will not be. Since in addition to Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin and Mclaren are clearly ahead of Enstone’s formation. Who fails to hang up the second wagon, that is, the top ten. It is on this point in particular that the person concerned could be attacked and then dismissed. To be continued…
Article published on 07/25/2023 at 6:06 a.m.
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