The former Alpine team boss in Formula 1, Otmar Szafnauer, criticized his successor Bruno Famin for his lack of knowledge regarding the current difficulties of the team. Szafnauer and Sporting Director Alan Permane left Alpine last summer due to a disagreement over a realistic timeline to achieve success in F1. Under Szafnauer’s leadership, the Enstone-based team finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, but dropped to sixth place when he departed. However, Alpine’s situation has worsened since then, with a revamped car design resulting in an overweight and non-competitive A524 that failed to score points. In an interview with F1.com, Famin suggested that Szafnauer should take responsibility for the current car, stating that “the car we have now is the result of the previous management.” However, Szafnauer disputes this claim, arguing that he and Permane had minimal influence on the car’s development due to their early departure. He explained that limited resources and time constraints meant that most of the team’s efforts were focused on the current car until the mid-season break, with updates being introduced until the Singapore Grand Prix in September. Changes to the car for the following year were made after the break, focusing on aerodynamic improvements. Szafnauer emphasized that the team had already started working on next year’s car after his departure in July, and he rejected the idea that his absence was responsible for the current problems.
In addition to Szafnauer and Permane, who now holds a position at RB, Fry also left his role as Chief Technical Director of Alpine to take on the same position at Williams.
The British individual, who has accumulated more than three decades of experience in the sport, criticized the Renault board, the parent company, for not maintaining the necessary “enthusiasm” to progress.
When asked if he believed Renault understood the requirements for achieving tangible success in the sport, Szafnauer replied: “Based on what I have observed, I do not believe so.”
He later added: “It is not just Renault, but even major automakers, including those with racing in their DNA, must refrain from interfering.
“The differences are significant. Apart from both being called cars and having five wheels, including a steering wheel, everything else is completely distinct.
“Although they may be called cars, the technology development, technology used, level of engineering involved, and level of education of the engineers are all very different.”
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