Otmar Szafnauer was team principal of Force India, Racing Point, Aston Martin and Alpine.
Otmar Szafnauer has disclosed that he personally covered the salaries for the struggling Force India team on two occasions. The team faced financial difficulties and eventually went into administration in 2018, later being rebranded as Racing Point and eventually Aston Martin. Szafnauer, who left in early 2022 for Alpine, opted to use his own funds and those of his partner at Soft Pauer to ensure timely salary payments for the team’s 400 employees. Despite the risks involved in waiting for Formula 1 funds, he chose to pay the salaries promptly. Szafnauer only shared this decision with select senior team members, keeping it confidential from the majority of the staff.
