"They stabbed me in the back to get me out": Otmar Szafnauer explains his sudden exit from Alpine (Exclusive)

Otmar Szafnauer believes that his push for a more competitive powertrain led to his departure from the Alpine F1 team. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda at Monza, the former team principal shared that he felt he wasn’t given sufficient time to complete the tasks assigned to him.

In July 2023, Alpine announced Szafnauer's sudden departure, replacing him with Bruno Famin. Since then, several senior team members have also exited the French team. Following the summer break, Famin was replaced by Oliver Oakes, and there are rumors that Alpine's engine manufacturing division may be shut down.

Since Szafnauer's exit, Alpine’s organizational structure has been a point of intrigue and marked by turmoil. Initially tasked with leading the team to success within 100 races, Szafnauer left after only 36. Reflecting on his time at the Enstone-based team, the 60-year-old felt he wasn’t given enough time to implement his vision.

Alpine has had the least competitive engine throughout the V6 hybrid era, gradually losing customer teams over time. Despite Fernando Alonso being a part of the team at one point, they struggled to deliver consistent performance and development, particularly with their car and engine. Szafnauer recalls advocating for a stronger engine internally, which he believes cost him his job.

During the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, some Alpine engine staff were seen wearing armbands that read “Let us race.” Speculation has arisen that the French manufacturer might become a customer team for Mercedes in the future, something Szafnauer finds intriguing.

When asked by Sportskeeda whether Alpine gave him enough time to meet his targets, Szafnauer responded:

“Absolutely not. I mean, I was told when I left Aston that I would have 100 races, which to me at the time, I thought, you know, at 25 races a year, that's four years long enough. At 20 races a year, that's five years long enough. So it's going to be between four and five years. And I look back at it now, and it became evident to me very quickly that our powertrain wasn't competitive. And I thought to myself, you know, in that four-year period, I'm going to get to 2026, 2027, and the expectation is vying for championships, winning races, and podiums. I knew that the powertrain they were developing was not going to be good enough.”

“So I started pushing internally to do something about the powertrain development. Cause I thought here I am given a task with 100 races to win and if you have a substandard powertrain, that's 20, 30, 40, you have no chance. So I started pushing internally and happened to be Bruno, who was the head of the powertrains at the time. And I think he didn't like that. And they stabbed me in the back to get me out because I was pushing hard internally for powertrain upgrades. And now, who knows what's happening? Well, I'll tell you what's happening. They're now looking at Mercedes engines and getting rid of all that,” he added.

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Otmar Szafnauer discusses exodus of key personnel at Alpine

Szafnauer claimed he expected many senior personnel to leave Alpine after his departure. He believes key figures like Pat Fry, Matthieu Dubois, Matt Harman, and Dirk de Beer left voluntarily.

While Alpine claimed the changes were necessary, Szafnauer claimed the exits were a result of a work environment that lacked motivation and opportunities for growth. The former Force India COO emphasized that successful teams require leadership that fosters a nurturing environment where talent can thrive.

When asked by Sportskeeda whether he anticipated such an exodus at Alpine, Szafnauer replied:

“When Alan and I left I had a feeling that other people would leave too. Soon thereafter, Alpine kept saying ‘we needn’t make these changes’. They didn’t make the changes, people decided to leave themselves. Pat Fry, one of the most experienced technical directors in the paddock was technical director at Ferrari, for example, grew up at McLaren. He left on his own. Nobody pushed him. He didn't want to be there. Matt Harman, same. He left on his own and Matt’s very good. Dirk De Beer, left out of his own and these are all senior people, head of Aero, technical director, chief technical officer, head of strategy. Matthieu Dubois, left on his own.”

“You know, so in Formula One, you have to, as a leader, understand how to motivate and treat people. Because they're the best in the world. And if you don't have that understanding of how to motivate them, show that you can achieve the goals that you're putting in front of them, and you treat them with due respect, they don't stay with you,” he added.

In addition to Szafnauer, Alpine also dismissed Alan Permane, their Sporting Director. The British engineer, one of the most experienced technical personnel in the sport, had worked at Enstone under its various guises - Lotus, Benetton, and Renault for over 34 years. Permane has since joined Red Bull’s junior team, RB, as Racing Director.

Alpine remains a subject of intrigue with its frequent leadership changes and organizational shake-ups. The potential discontinuation of the engine program could lead to job losses within their engine division, sparking concerns of potential protests. Currently, the team sits eighth in the standings, enduring one of its most challenging seasons.