Otmar Szafnauer left Alpine’s team principal role last summer and is now on gardening leave. But he’s not just relaxing; he’s busy with a new project in the US.
Szafnauer shared on the James Allen on F1 podcast that he’s working with North American groups to potentially start an 11th F1 team. “I’ve been working with some organisations in North America that have the funding to start an 11th team. It’s not Andretti. Now we’re just putting some of those building blocks in place to make sure that we have everything that’s required in order to be successful to both start a team, but also get an entry,” he said.
Szafnauer does not rule out F1 return
Having extensive experience from his time at Honda, Racing Point, and Alpine, Szafnauer knows what it takes to run an F1 team. Once his gardening leave ends, he might join one of the current teams. He clarified that he doesn’t have any contracts with the US project groups he’s currently helping.
“I’m a competitor and the one thing that I like more than anything is the competition,” Szafnauer stated. “So, to come back in a role where I can’t influence how well the team is competing, I don’t think I’d be interested. If it was a role where I could help develop, build, attract the right people to improve a team’s competitiveness, I’d be interested.”
Fans might think it’s exciting news for F1.
The idea of starting a new team is thrilling yet daunting; imagine all the logistics!
What do you think about Szafnauer’s potential return? Share your thoughts!
