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Questioning the Formula for Success: Otmar Szafnauer Casts Doubt on Aston Martin and Alpine’s F1 Strategies Amid 2024 Underperformance
Aston Martin's F1 struggles questioned: "Is it truly an ideal workplace?"
"Is it truly an ideal workplace? Do they genuinely work together?"
Otmar Szafnauer has raised doubts about the performance of two of his previous Formula 1 teams, Aston Martin and Alpine, as they persist in falling short of expectations in the 2024 season.
Szafnauer played a significant role at the Silverstone-based team during its time as Force India, and he continued to be an integral member through its transformation into Racing Point and now Aston Martin.
Guided by his direction, Force India consistently achieved better results than teams with substantially larger financial resources, a trend that persisted until 2020.
Despite undergoing a rebranding to Aston Martin and receiving substantial investment from Lawrence Stroll, the team has faced challenges in reaching its full potential, with the exception of the first half of 2023.
In 2022, Szafnauer departed from the team and subsequently took up the role of team leader at Alpine, serving for a period of 18 months
Discussing Aston Martin's disappointing season to date, Szafnauer mentioned on the James Allen on F1 podcast, “Lawrence [Stroll] has established the necessary framework for it to become a leading team,” as per Szafnauer’s comments on Aston Martin.
"The company has brought on board, and I was included in the process, several talented individuals. There are two skilled drivers among them, and I've had the opportunity to collaborate with both – Lance [Stroll] and Fernando [Alonso].
"For reasons not entirely clear to me, as I'm not deeply involved, I anticipated their performance on the track to be somewhat superior to what it currently is. It seems they were around the sixth or seventh quickest team at Silverstone."
"I expected them to be in contention for at least the top three, if not solidly in the top four. Clearly, something's not right or off track. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what without being directly involved or close to the situation."
Szafnauer suggested that enlarging their facilities might have influenced their ability to work together effectively.
"Is it genuinely an excellent workplace? Are true collaborative efforts being made?" Szafnauer questioned. "Is the entire team working towards a common goal? Is there a leader who comprehensively grasps the whole vehicle and is adept at making wise choices among various compromises? This includes considerations like aerodynamics, mechanics, the car's handling, and the drivers – all such aspects.
"I'm not sure, I've been excluded, I'm aware of our actions during my time there."
Since Szafnauer left, Alpine has experienced several changes in its leadership team, with Oliver Oakes being named the latest team principal.
Szafnauer believes that under his guidance, Alpine was moving towards a positive path before his departure was compelled.
"He described Alpine as a fresh start," he noted. "It's regrettable that I wasn't given the chance to pursue the path I was on.
"My role involved persuading highly skilled engineers and professionals, particularly those at the mid-level where real productivity is found, to become part of our team due to the exciting project we were undertaking."
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