Otmar Szafnauer does not rule out a return to Formula 1, but indicated that a possible comeback to the paddock could occur in a role other than team principal. The former head of Force India, Aston Martin, and Alpine stated that he still misses the competitive atmosphere of the category.
At 62 years old, Szafnauer explained that the High Performance Racing podcast fills part of his professional routine, but does not replace F1 competition. On the other hand, he noted that he does not miss the travel and other aspects of the championship’s routine.
“If I can be useful to improve a team or build a team… But it has to be at the right level, and I need to add value, not necessarily as team principal, because I’ve been there and done that,” Szafnauer said. The former leader also noted that many current team principals came from race engineering roles.
Szafnauer added that he does not believe that all race engineers necessarily possess the set of skills required to run a successful team. The assessment is linked to the experience he accumulated during more than a decade at the Silverstone-based structure, from the Force India phase to Racing Point, before taking the Alpine helm.
The American also recalled his departure from Aston Martin after Martin Whitmarsh’s arrival as CEO of the group. Szafnauer recounted that he was CEO and team principal when Whitmarsh took over and began to concentrate a large share of his responsibilities: “You cannot have two popes,” he added, elaborating his view on leadership structures with divided duties.
Since leaving Alpine, after the Belgian Grand Prix in 2023, Szafnauer has been taking part in the High Performance Racing podcast. He also became CEO of Van Amersfoort Racing and launched the EventR app, maintaining activities outside Formula 1.
