Otmar Szafnauer does not rule out a return to Formula 1, but indicated that a possible comeback to the paddock could happen in a role different from team principal. The former Force India, Aston Martin, and Alpine executive stated that he still misses the competitive environment of the category.
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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 highlighted that he does not miss the travel and other aspects of the championship 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 a team principal, because I have already been there and done that,” Szafnauer said. The former executive also noted that many current team principals came from race engineering roles.
Szafnauer added that he does not consider that all race engineers necessarily have the skill set that he understands is required to lead a successful team. The assessment is linked to the experience he accumulated over more than a decade at the helm of the Silverstone structure, from the Force India phase to Racing Point, before taking over Alpine.
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The American also recalled his departure from Aston Martin after Martin Whitmarsh arrived as the group’s CEO. Szafnauer said he was CEO and team principal when Whitmarsh took over and began to concentrate much of his responsibilities: “You can’t have two popes,” he added, explaining his view on leadership structures with divided responsibilities.
Since leaving Alpine after the 2023 Belgian GP, Szafnauer has been participating in the High Performance Racing podcast. He also became CEO of Van Amersfoort Racing and launched the EventR app, maintaining activities outside Formula 1.
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