Szafnauer Slams Alpine’s Management Interference: A Key Factor in Team’s Downfall

Otmar Szafnauer criticizes Alpine's management for being "problematic."

"There were several issues at Alpine, including the fact that I didn't have full authority over the team."

Otmar Szafnauer referred to Alpine's senior management, who frequently intervene, as "problematic."

Otmar Szafnauer held the position of team principal for the Alpine F1 team for about a year and a

In an unexpected turn of events, his exit was officially revealed during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

After parting ways with the team, Alpine has faced challenges, falling to ninth place in the constructors' championship in 2024.

During an interview on the High Performance podcast, Szafnauer shared that his primary issue was lacking complete "control" over the team, even though he held the position of team principal.

"There were several issues at Alpine, and one of them was that I lacked full authority over the team," stated Szafnauer.

To illustrate, I immediately recognized that the human resources department did not report to me but instead reported directly to France. Similarly, the finance department was not under my supervision and also reported to France.

"The communications team was not under my supervision, nor was the marketing and commercial group. I anticipated that this arrangement would lead to issues."

"Before accepting the position, I was told that everyone would report to me. However, upon arrival, that turned out not to be true."

"Right from the start, I believed I could handle it, but I was aware that it would be challenging."

One of the most surprising underperformers of the 2024 season has been Alpine, managing to secure only 13 points across eight races.

Flavio Briatore was brought on board as a senior advisor to help improve the team's performance.

Szafnauer did not hold back when evaluating the performance of his previous team this season.

He mentioned that he was unsure of their current position, suggesting it might be ninth or somewhere close in the standings, and remarked that the situation was disastrous.

"In the past, it might have seemed like a slight retreat, but occasionally, a small setback is necessary to make greater progress."

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