“Didn’t happen in a year,” Otmar Szafnauer claims he played a role in Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin’s rise

Otmar Szafnauer had exited Aston Martin before the start of the 2022 season after being at the helm for several years.

“Didn’t happen in a year,” Otmar Szafnauer claims he played a role in Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin’s rise

Otmar Szafnauer [L] Fernando Alonso [R] (images via IMAGO)

Aston Martin had an incredible start to the 2023 F1 season. Fernando Alonso found himself right behind Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the AMR23. The two-time world champion achieved multiple podiums with the Silverstone-based team. Now, former Aston Martin Team Principal Otmat Szafnauer has claimed that he deserves some credit for the British squad’s rise in the pecking order.

Szafnauer was the de-facto Team Principal of Force India before Lawrence Stroll saved the Silverstone-based outfit from bankruptcy mid-way through 2018. The Romanian-American continued to hold his position despite the change of ownership and brought in several changes to the British team.

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However, Otmar Szafnauer was sacked before the 2022 F1 season. The 59-year-old firmly believes that his role at the team played an impact on Fernando Alonso’s impressive 2023 season. Szafnauer claimed it usually takes a few years for any team to make progress after reinvestment and change of ownership.

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That didn’t happen in a year. It took time to bring all those people. All of that happened in the background. We have to remember that Lawrence bought the equipment in 2018, and in 2023 they had a fast car. That is the time frame.

Fernando Alonso told Motorsportweek

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin need to make progress in 2024

Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin managed to have a great start to the previous season. However, the British squad could not keep up the pace with rivals such as McLaren and Ferrari. This hampered Alonso’s performances in the latter half of the season. Ultimately, the Silverstone-based squad finished behind McLaren in the standings.

Fernando Alonso and Mike Krack
Fernando Alonso and Mike Krack (via IMAGO)

Aston Martin has high ambitions for the upcoming F1 season. The British team needs to bounce back after a poor end to last season. However, it will be a major task for the Silverstone squad as they would face stiff competition from its rivals who have been working extensively over the winter break.

Fernando Alonso remains as hungry as ever to win in F1 again. However, the two-time world champion might be running out of time if Aston Martin fails to deliver a good car in the upcoming season. As such, pressure would be on the Silverstone-based team to get back to the front of the grid in 2024.

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