Alpine F1 faces a crisis, as poor management choices have led to disappointing performances and team turmoil, according to ex-boss Otmar Szafnauer.
Alpine F1 is now paying the price for certain “poor decisions” in the management of a Formula 1 team currently in crisis.
This is the claim of the team’s former boss, Otmar Szafnauer, who was dismissed in July 2023, pointing to the leadership turmoil that has plagued the Renault-linked squad – and has now culminated with a 2024 car so slow it’s currently the 10th and last force on the grid!
Following Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly’s last-place qualifications in Bahrain and their scarcely better performance at the season opener on Saturday, it emerged that the team’s two top technicians – Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer – have resigned.
“The stopwatch doesn’t lie,” comments Szafnauer, “and it doesn’t look good.”
“People at the top made poor decisions. Firing individuals and not ensuring psychological safety within the team… later on, you see the results.”
Was Alpine F1 wrong to part ways with Szafnauer?
“I understand that F1 is a tough game. The top leaders don’t. You have to get a lot of things right and if you make mistakes, it bites you. But you need to give people in place time to implement what’s needed. I didn’t have that time. I’m not surprised by what’s happening.”
Former F1 driver Timo Glock believes that “the mess started last year.”
“Many key figures were pushed out, including Otmar. A personnel change during the development of a new car leads to turmoil within the team and now we’re seeing the consequences.”
Reports suggest the new Alpine A524 might be up to 11 kilograms overweight, which seems absurd as we’re in the third year of these regulations.
“It’s not much,” insists Gasly. “We know we need to find something in many areas.”
“It’s not just one thing, but everything.”
The team’s current boss, Bruno Famin, showed bravery in the face of the crisis on Saturday, insisting that Alpine is “on the right track to improve both the team and the car.”
“It’s a general lack of performance,” he acknowledged. “Not enough traction. The handling isn’t good. It’s a bit of everything.”
“One might expect the car to be terrible to drive, but that’s not the case.”
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