Szafnauer was infamously left the Enstone-based side by “mutual agreement” following last season’s Belgian Grand Prix, although he was seen leaving the paddock before the race had even started.

He’s, therefore, been without a job for six months and Schumacher thinks Haas can offer him a route back into the sport.

2023’s bottom-placed side have undergone a series leadership change ahead of the 2024 F1 season, with Guenther Steiner’s contract having not been extended at the end of 2023.

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As a result, he has departed the team with Ayao Komatsu having been promoted into his role.

Prior to his promotion, Komatsu had been Haas’ trackside engineering director, meaning he’s another team principal with a strong engineering background.

This should improve Haas’ performances on the circuit; however, team owner Gene Haas is also wanting a chief operating officer (COO) to take care of the team principal duties away from the circuit.

It’s in this area where Komatsu severely lacks experience, which is one of the reasons why Schumacher thinks Szafnauer would be ideal for the COO role.

Schumacher points out that the ex-Alpine boss has “expertise” in F1 and is also capable of spotting young talent, a trait the ex-F1 driver likes about Szafnauer.

“Otmar is someone who is well-known in Formula 1 and who also has expertise,” Schumacher told Formel1.de.

“One thing is technical expertise, but the other thing is to go out and look for good minds, sometimes at universities. Having this foresight and generating new people to take the team forward is a skill that I trust Otmar to have.”

READ: Carlos Sainz’s father makes massive Audi admission that will worry Ferrari

Another ex-team boss currently available is Mattia Binotto, who has been without a job since departing Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season.

Schumacher believes Szafnauer is a better option for Haas than the former Ferrari boss, who he thinks is “more associated”with a switch to Audi.

“I can’t imagine Mattia Binotto doing that,” added Schumacher. “He’s also more associated with Audi, but I don’t quite see how that fits in with Andreas Seidl. I’m curious about that.”

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There has been a recent overhaul in senior personnel at the Enstone-based outfit.

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer, technical director, Pat Fry, and sporting director, Alan Permane all left the team.

Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi was moved aside and put onto “special projects” by Renault.

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This followed the Belgian GP, where Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly placed in 9th and 11th, respectively.

Alpine has established itself as a true ‘middle of the pack’ team, sitting on 57 points in the Constructor Standings.

However, when Renault returned to the sport in 2016, it had “substantial long-term ambitions.”

The team rebranded to Alpine in 2021 to promote its road car brand.

While plentiful efforts and investments have been by Renault, this has not translated to success on the grid.

Chandhok is concerned that Alpine is a lost cause and might exit Formula 1.

He said: “The reality is that they are the sixth best team on the grid with the sixth fastest car, but they are the third largest global brand in the automotive world.

“Your results are not good enough.

“My concern is if they are going to continue with managers who come from outside the world of motorsport and Formula 1.

“If you look at the people who are in some departments of Enstone, they have been signed up from the road car division.”

Chandhok made comparisons to the Toyota team of 2002, who slunk out of F1 racing in 2009.

It did so under similar circumstances.

He remarked: “The same thing happened to Toyota 20 years ago.

“They are going down a path where they can throw in the towel with Formula 1.

“They are going down a corporate path that I am convinced is not going to work.”

Alpine has begun its restructuring process, with Bruno Famin taking the role of interim team principal.

Meanwhile, Matt Harman will replace Pat Fry in the technical area.

READ: Ferrari boss opens up on Lewis Hamilton amid reported contract

Of the departures, Chandhok said: “Three great figures have left. Alan Permane had been there for more than 33 years.

Pat Fry seems to have left on his own, no one has thrown him out.

“He is a great signing for Williams and at Alpine I think there is a lack of direction.”

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Just over 18 months after moving from Aston Martin to Alpine, Szafnauer was sensationally fired by the Enstone-based team.

Alpine announced ahead of qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix that Szafnauer and now former sporting director Alan Permane would be leaving after the weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, something which shocked the paddock.

Szafnauer was actually seen leaving the venue ahead of the race, following his huge fallout with the side.

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Alpine have endured a mixed season which has been disappointing on the whole, resulting in the huge leadership reshuffle.

It’s seemingly all part of De Meo’s plan, although Szafnauer admits that his plan isn’t correct.

The Romanian-American revealed that he offered De Meo a “very realistic” plan to get Alpine to the top; however, the French side were more interested in taking shortcuts.

“I think the senior management at Renault, the CEO, Luca de Meo, wants, as everyone does in Formula 1, success instantly and unfortunately, that’s not how it works in Formula 1,” Szafnauer told Jason Stein on SiriusXM’s Cars & Culture.

“So I pointed out to him that it takes time and the process of doing it, what’s required, and having raced for 34 years – and 26 years of it in Formula 1 – I think I speak with a degree of experience when I say ‘this is what it takes to turn a team around’ and they wanted to do it faster than is possible.

READ: Journalist blasts ‘bully’ Max Verstappen

“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.”

Ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is a reported candidate for Szafnauer’s job, which is now being filled by Bruno Famin, vice president of Alpine Motorsports.

He’ll occupy the position temporarily starting at the Dutch Grand Prix, which takes place at the end of August and will mark the conclusion of the summer break.

The post Otmar Szafnauer reveals the ugly truth about Alpine appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk.

Alpine sacked Szafnauer ahead of qualifying recently at the Belgian Grand Prix, as was now former sporting director Alan Permane.

The sacking of the pair came as a huge surprise, as was the way in which Alpine carried it out.

It was far from normal, with Szafnauer having been seen leaving Spa-Francorchamps moments before the race got underway.

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He held the team principal role at Alpine for just over 18 months, with his firing reportedly being due to having differing views to Alpine’s bosses over the team’s targets going forwards.

Szafnauer and Permane were supposedly keen to build the team’s progress over time, like the axed boss did at Force India/Racing Point.

However, this isn’t what the team’s hierarchy want, with them looking to speed things up following the rapid rise of Aston Martin and McLaren.

Ex-Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto is the rumoured favourite to take the role.

Szafnauer is now set to take some time off before getting back into work, with him likely going to be snapped up somewhere given his proven leadership skills.

Steiner isn’t worried about the 58-year-old who knows how the job goes sometimes, although the Haas boss did admit that what Alpine have done and the manner of which they’ve done it “is not the normal way”.

“How it was done is not the normal way, but everybody does it their own way,” said Steiner, as reported by F1i.com. “I think obviously Otmar will be disappointed, but he has been there before.

“If you are in this job, I think most of us have been there before. One door closes, another one opens. In the end, in this job, it is just a difficult job.

READ: Management company terminates contract with driver for refusing to honour McLaren contract

“You are in the public eye, things can happen, and you just have to deal with that.

“I’m not saying that it’s nice to deal with it, but it’s part of it. I think Otmar will be over it pretty quick.

“As I said he has been there before, and these things they happen, it’s part of our life as a Team Principal.”

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The Enstone-based operation has been in turmoil after the sacking of Otmar Szafnaeur and his sporting director Alan Permane.

The timing of Alpine’s announcement of these departures raised eyebrows as well.

The sackings were declared after the opening practice at the Belgian GP, presumably disconcerting drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.

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It coincided with news that Alpine technical director, Pat Fry, had joined Williams.

Only days prior, Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi made a lateral move to the ‘special projects’ position within Renault.

Bruno Famin took his place and now holds joint positions of CEO and team boss.

The Frenchman may soon be relieved of his team principal duties by Mattia Binotti, identified as the “most probable” candidate.

The slapdash nature of how this has all unfolded at Alpine has led to rumours that Renault is gearing up to sell the organisation.

Red Bull has suggested that it should do this – to “shake up” the Formula One landscape.

Alpine has already sold a 24% stake to a group of investors headed by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds.

This deal valued the team at around $900m.

That leaves Renault with a remaining hypothetical interest of $695m.

Michael Andretti, owner of Andretti Autosport, has made no secret of his desire to enter the F1 world and now seems like the perfect time to strike. 

He has pushed for an 11th team to be allowed into the sport on previous occasions.

However, there has been fierce resistance to this idea from other team principals, who believe Andretti would be better served buying an existing team.

However, Famin denied that Alpine was considering a takeover from Andretti.

READ: Mattia Binotto receives formal Alpine offer as F1 return looks imminent

He said: “We have a fascinating project with Alpine.

“The real project is developing the Alpine, supported by the Alpine F1 team, the endurance project, so we are totally focused on that one.

“It’s really part of the Alpine project.”

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Szafnauer was fired by the Enstone-based team ahead of qualifying at the recent Belgian Grand Prix, as was now ex-sporting director Alan Permane.

The double firing came as a huge shock, especially has Alpine informed that the duo would leave after the Grand Prix.

Szafnauer seemingly had other plans, as he was spotted leaving Spa-Francorchamps before the race got underway.

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The ex-Aston Martin team principal was fired after just 18 months in his Alpine role, which had been going relatively well.

The Romanian-American led the French team to fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, whilst they’d enjoyed some good results in 2023.

However, following rapid progress made by Aston Martin and McLaren, Szafnauer departed Alpine with the side sitting sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.

Alpine haven’t been bad by any means, but they’ve not exactly set the world alight.

Nevertheless, his firing wasn’t expected, neither was previously harsh comments by former CEO Laurent Rossi.

Rossi was highly critical of Szafnauer prior to being removed from his CEO role, with him having since been moved elsewhere.

Perhaps Alpine saw sacking Szafnauer has necessary given that Binotto is on the market, after the Italians left Ferrari at the end of 2022.

Whilst Binotto left the Maranello-based team on his own accord, it’s believed that he was given a choice to either leave he be fired.

Frederic Vasseur was signed to replace Binotto, who hasn’t been seen much this year.

However, according to French media outlet L’Auto Journal and respected Italian journalist Leo Turrini, that is soon set to change.

Both understand that Binotto has already agreed to become Alpine’s new team principal, with Turrini admitting that the move “does not surprise me”.

“In France, they’re saying Binotto has already reached an agreement with Alpine,” Turrini wrote in his Quotidiano Nazionale column.

“I’m writing about it because it does not surprise me. There is no doubt that he is smart.

READ: Fired Alpine boss says he will ‘lose weight’, slams team for wrong decision

“If in Luca de Meo he finds a mentor and he learns to listen to others, he is able to achieve great success,” Turrini added.

L’Auto Journal have even reported that Binotto has supposedly received an offer from Luca de Meo, Alpine co-owner Renault’s CEO.

Binotto was even seen at the Belgian GP and stayed at the track for the Pirelli tyre test which followed.

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Szafnauer was sacked by Alpine ahead of qualifying at the recent Belgian Grand Prix, alongside ex-sporting director Alan Permane.

Ironically, Alpine went on to claim third in the Belgian GP sprint race, courtesy of Pierre Gasly.

Szafnauer was stunningly seen leaving the circuit on Sunday before the race had even gotten underway, which ended up being another average affair for the French outfit.

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Having done so well in 2022 to claim fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, 2023 has been a disappointing year for Alpine.

The side currently sit sixth in the standings and will likely finish no higher, due to all five teams ahead of them being podium contenders.

Prior to his sacking, Szafnauer had come under fire from Laurent Rossi, who was recently removed as the team’s CEO and given a new role.

Alpine haven’t made the same progress this season that they made last season; however, the competition has gotten tougher.

Alpine only find themselves in sixth due to Aston Martin and McLaren having made remarkable progress, which has seen the two teams challenge the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari.

The French outfit weren’t exactly having a bad season, but at the same time they weren’t producing any sensational results.

Most of their points finishes have come after finishing towards the bottom of the top 10, something Esteban Ocon achieved at Spa-Francorchamps where he claimed P8.

Szafnauer ultimately isn’t sure why he’s been fired after leading the team for 18 months, with him noting that Alpine’s questionable results haven’t always been their own fault.

“I don’t know why this decision was made,” Szafnauer told Servus TV.

“We had four retirements in a row but none of them were actually due to the team.

“But if the decision-makers don’t have the right information, they can’t then take the right steps.”

READ: David Coulthard reveals cruel Max Verstappen prank

The big question now is what’s next for the Romanian-American, something he’s not even sure about just yet.

For the time being, he’s planning on taking some time off, where he’ll try to “lose weight”.

“I’m only going to take a few weeks or months off now and try to lose weight,” Szafnauer revealed. “I might run a little and go to the gym every day.”

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Perez characterised the French outfit’s move as a “shame,” highlighting his admiration for Szafnauer’s capabilities.

Szafnauer took on the role of Alpine’s Team Principal for the 2022 season, transitioning from a similar position at Aston Martin several months prior. 

Surprisingly, just before the Belgian Grand Prix last month, it was revealed that both Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane would be departing from the team.

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Perez’s connection with Szafnauer traces back to their collaboration at Aston Martin, previously known as Force India and Racing Point, from 2014 to 2020. 

Commenting on the unexpected nature of Szafnauer’s departure, Perez expressed, “I think I was quite surprised with it, given how short notice it was. 

“I think Otmar is great, any person in that position, you’ve got to give them time. 

“And I think Otmar lacked time to really show his potential, which I know is huge.”

Highlighting Szafnauer’s accomplishments with varying budgets across different teams, Perez conveyed his disappointment in Alpine’s decision to move on from the capable leader. 

Nonetheless, he also acknowledged the challenging nature of Formula 1 and the necessity of allowing time for new leadership to take effect.

In the realm of his personal performance, Perez’s journey came under scrutiny during the Belgian Grand Prix. 

Despite his recent podium finishes in Hungary and Belgium, Perez acknowledged his struggles in previous races where he failed to secure a top-three position, except for a third-place finish in Austria.

Addressing his recent form, Perez shared, “Yeah, I’ve certainly had a rough patch with the car and with my driving style. 

“I’ve been working on it. And you know, it’s no different to any other driver out there. 

“I think drivers, we go through these periods where we are just finding our sweet spot.”

READ: Aston Martin reveal stance on misfiring Lance Stroll

Recognising the ebb and flow of performance that drivers experience, Perez expressed his optimism for the rest of the season. 

He noted that the focus remains on the final standings in Abu Dhabi and emphasised his determination to steer his season back on track. 

Drawing from his experience, Perez affirmed that he and his team are making progress in the right direction.

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It was announced by the Enstone-based team ahead of qualifying last Friday at the Belgian Grand Prix that Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane would be leaving after the weekend, with Szafnauer having later been seen leaving the track before the race even started.

Bruno Famin has stepped in as interim-team boss, until a replacement has been confirmed.

Ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is a rumoured contender for the position, which would see him return to the pinnacle of motorsport.

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Perez worked with Szafnauer whilst he was the team principal at Force India, who later became known as Racing Point and are now called Aston Martin.

When known as Force India, the side gained a reputation for being a small team with a big punch, as they often delivered exceptional results despite a minimal budget.

Szafnauer was the side’s leader, with Perez having been their star driver.

Because of this, the Red Bull driver knows what Szafnauer is capable of, which makes him even more surprised that Alpine decided to sack him after just 18 months.

“Yeah, I was quite surprised with it, given how short notice it was,” Perez told media, including RacingNews365.

“I think Otmar is great. For any person in that position, you’ve got to give them time.

“I think Otmar lacked time to really show his potential, which I know is huge because I’ve seen what he’s done in other teams with very limited budgets, and with not-so-limited budgets as well.

“It is a shame that they let him move on. But whoever comes needs to have proper time, because all these things in Formula 1 take massive time.”

READ: Toto Wolff compares Lewis Hamilton negotiations to arguing with his wife

Alpine actually scored good points at Spa-Francorchamps, with Pierre Gasly having remarkably finished third in the sprint race last Saturday.

Gasly failed to score points in the actual race, whereas Esteban Ocon clinched P8.

Despite Alpine’s positive weekend points wise, they remain sixth in the standings.

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Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz has openly questioned the curious timing of the announcement and offered a theory on Alpine’s motives for making the move during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.

Alpine stunned the paddock by revealing the departure of Szafnauer and Permane during Friday practice at Spa-Francorchamps. 

Following the announcement, Alpine Vice President of Motorsports Bruno Famin was appointed as the interim team principal, further feeling speculation about the sudden changes.

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Kravitz highlighted that Famin had been appointed above Szafnauer a few weeks prior to the announcement, which had already raised suspicions among F1 insiders. 

He questioned why Alpine didn’t announce the news ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix or wait until the summer break to handle the situation discreetly.

“He [Famin] was appointed above Otmar a few weeks ago,” Kravitz said. 

“Now when that happened we all knew something was up, so given that there have been rumors that Otmar’s time as team principal of Alpine was not going to be particularly long, why did they wait until the middle of a grand prix weekend to announce it.”

Kravitz speculated that there might have been a financial settlement between Szafnauer and Alpine, allowing them to present the departure as a mutual agreement to terminate contracts. 

However, he couldn’t understand why the announcement wasn’t made earlier, avoiding the media frenzy during the race weekend.

“They obviously parted ways, they did a deal where I assume – and we haven’t had this confirmed – there was a financial settlement which allowed them to say it was by mutual agreement that their contracts were terminated,” Kravitz explained. 

“So with that all in place, why not announce it on the Wednesday before we got here so it would have been off the story on Thursday.”

Kravitz then proposed a theory for the timing of the announcement, suggesting that Alpine might have wanted to show decisiveness and strong action in removing elements that were not in line with their goals.

READ: Sergio Perez working with psychologist amid Red Bull pressure

“Why not do it on Monday? I don’t get it,” he pondered. 

“Unless, they wanted to make the biggest splash possible in showing they’re taking strong action and decisive action in removing elements that are not going to help them get to their goals – that’s the only explanation it could be.”

“They need to be seen, Renault, to be taking decisive action – that’s the only logical conclusion as to why they didn’t do the old summer break press release,” Kravitz added.

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