P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Otmar Szafnauer says he was going to turn Alpine into a top three team before his dismissal as team principal, and that the team’s current situation is a “disaster”. Alpine announced the departures…
Otmar Szafnauer was confident in his ability to elevate Alpine to a top three team before being dismissed as team principal, citing the current situation as a “disaster.” His departure, along with sporting director Alan Permane, came during the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix weekend, after less than 18 months with the team. Szafnauer was dedicated to overcoming the challenges he faced upon his arrival, aiming to improve Alpine’s performance despite not having full authority over the entire team. He worked on various fronts, including power unit equalization and recruitment, to enhance Alpine’s competitiveness, emphasizing the need for the team to catch up with others in terms of power. Szafnauer believes his exit was orchestrated alongside other key personnel departures at Alpine, attributing the decline in performance to these collective changes in leadership.
