Szafnauer reveals key flaws in Alpine's leadership

Alpine's recent struggles in Formula 1 have taken a dramatic turn as ex-team principal Otmar Szafnauer lifts the lid on the internal turmoil that plagued the French outfit during his tenure.

In a revealing interview, Szafnauer paints a picture of a team hamstrung by mismanagement and conflicting priorities, ultimately leading to his departure midway through the 2023 season.

Promises unfulfilled

Szafnauer's appointment at the start of 2022 was meant to herald a new era for Alpine, with the experienced Romanian-American tasked with steering the team towards the sharp end of the grid.

However, the reality proved starkly different from what was promised.

"Before I took the job, it was [said] everybody's reporting to me. I get there and that's not the case,"

Szafnauer explained. This disconnect between expectation and reality set the stage for a tumultuous 18 months at the helm of Alpine.

Fragmented leadership

The root of Alpine's problems, according to Szafnauer, lay in a fragmented leadership structure that saw key departments bypassing the team principal and reporting directly to Renault's board in France.

This unusual arrangement left Szafnauer without full control over critical aspects of the team's operations.

"HR didn't report to me, it reported up through France. The finance office didn't report to me. The communications department didn't report to me and the marketing group and commercial didn't report to me,"

he revealed. This lack of cohesion would prove detrimental to Alpine's on-track performance and off-track decision-making.

The Piastri debacle

Perhaps the most public manifestation of Alpine's internal dysfunction came with the Oscar Piastri contract saga.

Szafnauer found himself at the center of a storm not of his making, as it emerged that crucial errors in Piastri's contract predated his arrival at the team.

"It [the contract] was never signed. I started in March. I had no idea,"

Szafnauer stated, highlighting the communication breakdown within the organization.

The subsequent loss of Piastri to McLaren in a Contract Recognition Board ruling exposed deep-seated issues within Alpine's management structure.

A culture of self-preservation

Szafnauer's most damning indictment of Alpine's leadership came in his assessment of the team's priorities.

Drawing a parallel with past experiences in the automotive industry, he suggested that certain members of Alpine's management were more concerned with protecting their positions than achieving success on the track.

"You don't care about on-track performance, you care about your career. And if that's the case, you make those types of decisions,"

Szafnauer observed, pointing to a cultural issue that extended beyond the confines of the F1 paddock and into the broader Renault Group.