Szafnauer HITS OUT at Renault bosses after Alpine sacking
Szafnauer HITS OUT at Renault bosses after Alpine sacking
Former Alpine F1 Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer has lashed out at the Renault bosses, saying they have “no understanding” of what it takes to make it to the top in Formula 1.
Following a decade-long spell as team principal of Force India (later Racing Point) and then briefly with Aston Martin, Szafnauer’s switched teams to join Alpine in February 2022. He helped oversee the French team’s best season since 2018, finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship.
However, their failure to resign veteran driver Fernando Alonso along with the departure of Oscar Piastri to McLaren resulted in an episode of public embarrassment for Szafnauer and Alpine.
Furthermore, a difficult start to their 2023 campaign has seen Alpine fall down to sixth in the teams’ championship. As a result of below par performances on track and disagreements off it, Szafnauer parted ways after 17 months with the French outfit. Since then, he has spoken to SiriusXM, lashing out about the Renault bosses’ lack of patience.
"They wanted to do it faster than is possible and I couldn't agree to an unrealistic timeline because if you do that, it's only a matter of time and everyone gets frustrated, so I laid out a very realistic and possible plan and I think they wanted to shortcut that plan with somebody else.
"I was able to convince quite a few people in areas that we needed to bolster, but unfortunately they were to come some in the autumn of 2023, most of them mid 2024 and some of them in 2025, and that's what I try to explain that: 'Look, it's happening, it's coming and sometimes you take a half step backwards to take two forward.
"And they just didn't have that understanding. Either it was impatience or it was emotion, but definitely no understanding and unfortunately that's what it takes and that's what they'll find."
READ MORE: Former F1 driver SAVAGES Permane and Szafnauer after Alpine sackings
Szafnauer: Alpine lack experience
One of the reasons for Alpine’s struggles has been the A523’s lack of development. Szafnauer explained that this is in part due to the team’s inexperience in key departments.
"There are pockets of the organisation that the skill level is at a very elementary level and that's because the people they have there were college graduates, for example, as opposed to somebody with 25 years of knowledge.
"It was in those areas that I started to recruit, but the best in Formula 1 are usually on long-term contracts, at least three years.”
READ MORE: Ex world champion insists Alpine's biggest MISTAKE was BEFORE mass exodus
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
- 51 minutes ago
Ricciardo makes five-race admission in bid to survive F1 axe
- 1 hour ago
Red Bull is 'burning' after Horner and Marko display
- 2 hours ago
Red Bull announce strong statement over Newey departure claims
- 3 hours ago
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
- Today 18:57
F1 champion reveals £100 MILLION contract to keep racing
- Today 17:57
Related news
Former F1 boss makes damning cost cap claim against huge team
Szafnauer FIRES BACK at Alpine in angry tirade over shock axing
Famin reveals strategy to find KEY replacement as Alpine REBUILD
Perez reveals SHAME at rival team after stunning Spa developments
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860