Szafnauer does not fear for position: 'Still 60 races to go'
F1 News
- Toby McLuskie
The Alpine team is going through a turbulent time. Not only are the results of both drivers slightly disappointing, but there is also noise in the French racing stable's top positions. Team boss Otmar Szafnauer says in an interview with Motorsport.com that he does not fear for his staying on and refers to the 100-race plan with which Alpine entered Formula 1.
Shifts in management Alpine
It was recently announced that Laurent Rossi stepped down as Alpine's CEO and Philippe Krief took over his duties. Rossi, together with Renault CEO Luca de Meo, was responsible for Alpine's F1 project. Under Rossi, current team boss Otmar Szafnauer was also appointed and a plan was made to establish a winning team within 100 races. Of that, over 30 races have now been run midway through the 2023 season, with no victories for Szafnauer.
Despite all the changes in top positions, Szafnauer is not worried about his own staying on. "Laurent [Rossi] attracted me to the project, but in the end, De Meo convinced me to come and work for Alpine. The project was the 100-race plan, of which we have currently run 30. There are still over 60 races to go, so we still have three years to go to win."
Szafnauer takes Red Bull and Mercedes as examples
Szafnauer sees the project as something that really needs to be given time and makes a comparison with the path taken by Red Bull Racing and Mercedes. These teams too took about five years to become successful in Formula 1. So the Alpine team boss also sees 100 races as a realistic number. He also sees the importance of stable management at the teams, again taking an example from Red Bull and Mercedes: "If Toto Wolff were to ask you to come and work for his team when he himself is leaving within six months, that raises doubts in people's minds. Christian Horner, for example, has been in place for a long time and that makes attracting the right people easier."