General
Szafnauer on Aston Martin departure: 'Handed over to the other pope'
- GPblog.com
Otmar Szafnauer was already linked to a move to the Alpine team towards the end of the season last year, but at the time he dismissed the rumors. Some four months later, a deal appeared to be in place, remarkably. However, Szafnauer claims that he was telling the truth in November 2021.
Match at Alpine
When he is asked by Formula1.com asked when the talks with Alpine started, he says it wasn't until 2022. According to Szafnauer he only knew after last season that there was no future for him at Aston Martin. As to why he ended up at Alpine after all: "It was just a match."
At Alpine he also holds the position of team boss. The first few months were hard to get used to for the 57-year-old executive, who had been associated with Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin since 2009. Meanwhile, he has found his way within the French formation. From now on he can really help the team to take the right steps forward.
Departure at Aston Martin
At Aston Martin Szafnauer felt that he was getting more and more resisted. In the media recently he told himself that in the Catholic Church there is only room for one pope and not two. Many thought he meant by that to say that Lawrence Stroll had too much of a fork in the road within the team when it came to the somewhat more technical areas.
Szafnauer is now refuting that. At some point Martin Whitmarsh joined Aston Martin and was the second so-called captain on the ship. "For both of us to sit in the same space and try to do the same thing, just doesn't really work.So I think it was time to leave, and leave Aston Martin to their one pope," he says.