Otmar Szafnauer, Alpine’s Team Principal, insisted the company’s new CEO Philippe Krief, who replaced Laurent Rossi won’t have any input into the Formula 1 team.
Szafnauer must have breathed a sigh of relief when the new management structure at Alpine was announced, with Rossi relegated to a “special projects” role in the company, while Krief took over the Frenchman’s role.
Earlier this year, Rossi lambasted Szafnauer and his F1 team following the underwhelming start of the 2023 season, threatening consequences, insisting that the buck stops with the Alpine F1 team boss.
And it seems Szafnauer will have a better work environment going forward, as he revealed over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend that the new CEO will not have any direct control over him, and will focus of the road car side of Alpine, while the company’s Vise President of motorsport, Bruno Famin, will be the one looking after the F1 operation.
Asked by the media about how the new structure affects him , Szafnauer said: “So, I’ll start with my management of it: shouldn’t have an impact whatsoever.
“I’ve been there for about a year and a half now and the plans that I’ve already put in place, we’re going to continue to pursue. The infrastructure that we’ve embarked on, where we’re continuing to pursue and some of the hires that we’re looking for, some like-minded individuals, that’s still happening.
“Bruno’s been with us for over a year in Viry and also in endurance racing and Dakar and this just adds Formula 1 – although he was part of Formula 1 already. So, it’s not really that big of a change. And then on the corporate side, the there’s a new CEO of Alpine Cars, whose focus will be Alpine Cars and not Formula 1,” he explained.
Rossi will not be involved in F1
As for Rossi’s new job, Szafnauer said: “So I’ve been told that he’s moving to special projects, and no more than that, but I don’t think his involvement will be Formula 1.”
Quizzed whether the changes are happening because there is discontent with Alpine’s F1 performance; the former Aston Martin boss said: “Yeah, everybody wants to do better and win.
“You know, we wanted to be fourth this year and we’re still working hard to make sure that we can be at least the fourth fastest team by the end of the year.
“As for the Formula 1 team and the new management structure, the new Alpine CEO will not have any input into the Formula 1 bit of it,” he insisted.
“So that change was made mainly from an Alpine business unit perspective, not from a Formula One perspective. I haven’t talked to Luca yet, but I will do over the weekend,” Szafnauer concluded.
Alpine are currently sixth in the 2023 Formula 1 Constructors’ Standings with 47 points, 12 less than McLaren in fifth. They finished fourth in 2022 after beating McLaren.
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