Otmar Szafnauer breaks silence on potential F1 return after his painful Alpine exit

Otmar Szafnauer wants to make an F1 return as soon as possible.

Otmar Szafnauer breaks silence on potential F1 return after his painful Alpine exit

Otmar Szafnauer

The Alpine Formula 1 team brutally axed Otmar Szafnauer during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. While he is currently out of work, the Romanian-American has made it known that he’s had conversations with potential parties regarding a return to the pinnacle of motor racing in some capacity.

When it comes to F1, Otmar Szafnauer has got tons of experience as he was associated with the sport for a long time. His F1 journey began in 1998,; since then, he has taken up several important roles. His most noticeable stint came as Team Principal for Racing Point, Aston Martin, and most recently, the Alpine F1 team. He ardently feels he is not done yet and will return as soon as possible.

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Szafnauer is currently on his mandatory 12 months of gardening leave but feels there are several things he can do during this time; he told Motorsport, “[That’s] 12 months without Formula 1 teamwork, but there are other things within Formula 1 that I can do. For example, I could work for an engine manufacturer, or I could work for F1 Experiences and help them.”

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He further added, “Or Formula 1 or the FIA. So maybe I’ll be back in less than 12 months. I’ve had some conversations. If a situation arises where I can help a team as team principal on the pit wall, I would certainly take that opportunity. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past fifteen years, I understand that.

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Otmar Szafnauer has had a roller coaster of a ride with the Alpine F1 team

Alpine (Credits: AutoSport)
Alpine (Credits: AutoSport)

While Otmar Szafnauer is currently away from the glitz and glam of the pinnacle of motor racing, he had a very up-and-down stint with the Alpine F1 team. He joined the French outfit in February 2022 and had quite an F1 season. Despite the setbacks of the campaign, he was able to play a big part in helping the team in finishing in the fourth position in the Constructors Championship.

However, coming into the 2023 season, the team made it known that they would like to retain their 2022 position, but as the season rolled on, the team started falling backward. It ultimately led to the painful sacking of Otmar Szafnuer. It is believed that former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto is being lined up by Alpine to take charge of the team.

The Enstone-based team is currently sixth in the Constructors Championship, and considering all the chaos that has recently taken place in their camp, several eyes are going to be on them for the Dutch Grand Prix onward. Alpine has always been a curious case in F1 and is expected to continue in that fashion for some time to come.

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