What results for Otmar Szafnauer?

From Force India (2008-2018) to Aston Martin through Racing Point (2018-2020), almost everything has changed over the last twelve years for the Silverstone-based team. But not him. Since his arrival in 2009, Otmar Szafnauer has been the central figure and above all the common thread of a team in perpetual (r)evolution. He will leave behind the image of a manager appreciated, particularly for his leadership qualities, in good times and through storms. No wonder, therefore, that the team took the time to say a word to him when announcing his departure: “We would like to thank him for his services to the team over the past twelve years and we wish him good luck for the future, knowing that he will probably turn to new challenges”, it was written in the press release. Born on August 13, 1964 in communist Romania, to an American father of Germanic ancestry and a Romanian mother, he grew up in Detroit in the United States, in Michigan, where he settled at the age of 7 years. He had his first experiences in F1 at BAR as operational director in 1998. Then it was with Honda, three years later, that he truly established himself in the discipline. First vice-president of the development branch of Honda Racing, he became an eminent member of the board of Honda F1, before the Japanese manufacturer suddenly slammed the door of the Circus in 2008, because of the serious economic recession which hit the automobile sector hard.

Otmar Szafnauer / BAR Honda © DPPI

He then bounced back by creating Soft Pauer, the company which developed the official F1 application for telephone, but it did not take long to see his good nature reappear in the paddocks. After a fruitful interview at Monza with the boss of Force India, Vijay Mallya, he joined the team as director of operations in 2009 and will notably allow the former Jordan team (1991-2005) to form a partnership technique with Mercedes, after the stable was motorized by Ferrari. Thanks in particular to the collaboration with the brand with the star, Force India went from 9^e the 7^e place in 2010, then at 6^e in 2011, 2013 and 2014, before ranking in the Top 5 from 2015 to 2017 (5^e, 4^e, 4^e), taking advantage of the great performance of the Mercedes hybrid engine.

On the front lines during the 2018 crisis

Results which allowed Force India to attract the respect of the competition and its followers, for its ability to box in a category superior to what its initial means allowed it. “My management philosophy came down to how to attract talented people to a team like Force India, without having the resources of other teams, Szafnauer revealed at the time. The way I did it was to make sure it was the best team on set to work with, regardless of our means. I've worked really hard to make sure I'm an empathetic leader and give everyone confidence that they all know they have a major role to play. This allowed me to attract real talent, even though we were neither Red Bull nor Mercedes. » After three years of high quality marked by the three podiums achieved by Sergio Perez between 2015 (in Sochi) and 2016 (in Monaco and Baku), the house of cards threatens to collapse in 2018. Indian boss Vijay Mallya had to deal with legal disputes in his country and with financial concerns, at the following the bankruptcy of Kingfisher Airlines (airline he founded in 2005. Editor’s note). As a result, Force India was placed into administration in the summer of 2018, in order to avoid the company's insolvency and allow the team to continue competing in Grands Prix. 

Otmar Szafnauer / Force India

An extremely difficult moment for the company's four hundred employees, who were able to count on the support of their boss. “The greatest source of stress came from the uncertainty that surrounded the stable at the time, Szafnauer told us, a year after that famous summer of 2018. Once the doubts were cleared with the release of administration, it was a huge relief. It was quite a challenge to get everyone to stick together in the face of adversity. No one knew what tomorrow would bring and our most qualified employees had offers on the table. I had to make sure they stayed with us,” he continued. As a good troop leader, Szafnauer was able to avoid the exodus of his forces, until the takeover the following month by the Racing Point consortium of Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll. Lance's father then decided to lean on Szafnauer, to the point of appointing him CEO and team principal of the team. After the crisis, therefore, comes the time of reconstruction for Otmar, with new means. The development of the car 2019 was nevertheless hampered by the uncertainties surrounding the future of the team six months earlier, which explained the return to the abyss of the championship that year (7^e).

Victories

But in 2020, the RP20 regained color and performance, against a backdrop of controversies and complaints from the competition. Renault, with the support of many other competitors, noted great similarities with the Mercedes W10, to the point that the RP20 was baptized the " Pink Mercedes » by some competitors. The latter then accused Racing Point of having had access to the plans of the previous single-seater of the brand with the star, which allowed it to become the third force on the field in pure performance. During this episode, Otmar Szafnauer stepped up to the plate several times, refusing to let the name and integrity of his team be dragged through the mud. Lawrence Stroll's team escaped with a fine of 400 euros and 000 penalty points in the constructors' championship, but was able to continue to field its car for the rest of the season. This notably allowed Racing Point to win with Sergio Pérez on the outdoor track of Sakhir, the absolute highlight of Otmar Szafnauer's twelve years within the Silverstone team.

Otmar Szafnauer and Sergio Perez © Jean Michel Le Meur / DPPI

The exhilaration of victory at the end of 2020, however, quickly gave way to a hangover. Renamed Aston Martin F1 Team, following the purchase of the venerable British brand by Lawrence Stroll, the team was by far the most impacted by the change in technical regulations imposed by the FIA ​​in the winter of 2021. Despite the arrival of the quadruple German world champion Sebastian Vettel, which ends 2^e in Baku, Aston Martin finished 7^e in the constructors' championship. At the end of the year, AUTOhebdo revealed in a world exclusive that Otmar Szafnauer was about to leave the green house, presumably to join the French team Alpine. The hiring of the former director of McLaren F1, Martin Whitmarsh, as CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies (stable structure. Editor's note) is surely no stranger to his departure. Regardless, the American enjoys a good record. His probable arrival at Alpine could also allow enstone to reconnect with a little more clarity in its operational organization chart, even though we spent the 2021 season wondering who, Davide Brivio (competition director) or Marcin Budkowski (executive director) was the real operational pilot of the plane at the A arrow. 

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