Günter Steiner believes that the unexpected resignation of Otmar Szafnauer from Alpine F1 only highlights the strong pressure under which the leaders of the championship teams are constantly working. At the same time, he believes that his former colleague will soon be able to return to the paddock in another capacity.
Szafnauer took over the works Renault team at the start of last season and finished 4th in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022. But this season rivals, mainly Aston Martin and McLaren, have improved noticeably, and Alpine fell back to 6th in the team standings .
Of course, the management of Renault did not like this, but few could have imagined that during the Grand Prix of Belgium it would be announced that Otmar Szafnauer and Alan Permein, the team’s sports director, would be removed from their positions. It was also announced about the departure of technical director Pat Fry, who was offered a job at Williams.
“The way it’s done is not normal, but everyone has their own way,” said Steiner, Haas F1 Team Principal. – It is clear that Otmar is upset, but he has already been in similar situations. Most of us who work as team leaders have had this experience. But when one door closes, another one opens.
Anyway, it’s hard work. You are always in the spotlight, and when something like that happens, you have to be able to take a beating. I’m not saying it’s fun, but it’s also part of our job. I think Otmar will be able to handle it soon enough. Again, he’s been in similar situations before and they can be repeated – this is part of a team leader’s life.
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.
