Aston Martin F1 announce departure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer

Aston Martin F1 team on Wednesday (January 5) announced the departure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer from his role.

The move was something of a surprise, since there was no sign this would be happening. And, as of now, it is not clear if Szafnauer has any jobs lined up.

“Otmar Szafnauer has left the Company and his role at Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team will be managed within the leadership team until a replacement is appointed,” the team said in a statement.

“We would like to thank him for the service provided to the team over the past 12 years and wish him well for the future as he will undoubtedly take on new challenges.

“Fortunately, we are led and managed by a strong group of individuals, and we are comfortable to take a little time to explore options before announcing a new team structure.

“The focus of the team is currently on preparing the most competitive car possible for the start of the 2022 season.”

Szafnauer has a long and tenured history in the sport of F1. He’s been involved in the sport since 1999, when he was part of BAR. But he is best remembered for his time at Aston Martin, through their various incarnations.

He was part of the team when it was known as Force India and owned by Vijay Mallya. He then remained part of the team as it was bought out by Lawrence Stroll.

Now known as Racing Point, the team remained a consistent midfield side. They even finished fourth in the 2020 constructor’s championship. And it was in that year the Aston Martin rebranding was announced.

However, the team had a poor year in 2021. Their cars lacked the speed of the last year and they finished 7th in the standings.

Where is Otmar Szafnauer headed to next?

There is a belief that he will go to Alpine, Aston Martin’s midfield rivals. Indeed, he was linked to the job in the middle of the 2021 season.

But he went out of his way to deny the rumours at the time, giving the impression he was going to be around for the long haul at Aston Martin.

Yet he now finds himself out of a job, and this might be a tougher loss for the team than it will be for Szafnauer.

After all, the 2022 season will be an important one for Formula 1 teams. The all-new aerodynamic regulations will come in, meaning new-look cars and potentially closer racing.

How the team copes in the coming year – and who replaces Szafnauer – remains to be seen.