In Monaco, Otmar Szafnauer had to answer questions from the press about the harsh criticism he received from Laurent Rossi, Alpine’s CEO.
According to the head of the Renault factory team, the necessary reforms are already underway and this cannot be considered a response to recent criticism as this process started some time ago.
“Change is already happening, it just takes time,” Safnauer said. “We all know that progress comes from the efforts of the whole team, and we have very talented engineers who work hard, but we regret that the time available for wind tunnel research or the use of CFD technologies is limited.
It is therefore not about the amount of work, but about the quality of it. And to achieve this quality, it takes time, and this is due to the invitation of new specialists. We have plans for that and we are already negotiating with the right people.
In the off-season, we have completed most of the tasks before us, but not all of them, and achieving everything requires changes within the organization itself, and these changes will happen. I have been with Alpine for a little over a year now and during the first six to eight months I devoted a thorough analysis of its structure and working methods to its strengths and weaknesses. And now I have a good understanding of all this.
I have been in senior positions for 25 years and I know what needs to be done to take the team from last place to say 4th place (this was the case when Safnauer was at Force India), or to move from the middle of the platoon to 2nd place (BAR). So I understand and plans have been made.
Do I feel extra pressure? You see, this is Formula 1, and here, if we don’t win, we create pressure for ourselves. Now only Red Bull is happy with the results and the rest are working hard to catch up with the front runners.
Szafnauer also noted that he will meet with Laurent Rossi and Luca de Meo, the head of the Renault group, at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona next weekend to discuss the current state of affairs. After the first five rounds of the season, the Alpine F1 is sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with just 14 points so far.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
