{"id":517718,"date":"2026-03-04T08:21:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/517718\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T08:21:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T08:21:15","slug":"f1-news-piastris-estranged-ex-alpine-boss-lands-new-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/517718\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 news: Piastri\u2019s estranged ex-Alpine boss lands new job"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Piastri\u2019s
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFomer Alpine F1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer.<\/p>\n

Szafnauer most recently worked as team principal for the Alpine F1 Team, exiting the team in the summer break of 2023.<\/p>\n

The Romanian-American departed the Enstone operation after the Belgian Grand Prix of that year, citing a disagreement with upper management about a fundamental culture change in the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey wanted a corporate culture change in a different manner, to get rid of some people that were doing a good job that had been there for a long time,\u201d Szafnauer told F1.com in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thought was, well, if you get rid of people that do a good job then the message you send is \u2018do a good job, get fired\u2019, and that\u2019s not the culture that you really want.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was asked, and I said no. It\u2019s not who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

Szafnauer was at the centre of the controversy surrounding Oscar Piastri\u2019s messy departure from Alpine\u2019s junior program in 2022.<\/p>\n

The Australian had been announced as the replacement for Fernando Alonso, before promptly taking to social media to deny the news, claiming the announcement was made without his permission.<\/p>\n

Piastri instead signed for McLaren, prompting a lengthy legal battle between the two teams.<\/p>\n

Szafnauer denied any involvement in the controversy, casting blame on senior team management.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had absolutely nothing to do with not signing Oscar Piastri correctly. That mistake was made in November [2021] \u2013 I started in March [2022],\u201d Szafnauer told the High Performance Podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn November, the Piastri contract was meant to be signed \u2013 it was never signed. I started March, I had no idea. They didn\u2019t submit the CRB [Contract Recognition Board] documents correctly and never signed a contract with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 18 month stint at Alpine followed a lengthy appointment at Aston Martin, overseeing the team\u2019s climb through the midfield as Force India, and later Racing Point.<\/p>\n

Sznafnauer\u2019s appointment comes at somewhat of a lean period of performance for VAR in both Formula 2 and Formula 3.<\/p>\n

Utilising over 30 years of motorsport experience, the appointment will be key to the progression of the team into the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cVan Amersfoort Racing has a strong reputation for developing talent and competing at a high level across multiple categories,\u201d said Szafnauer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI look forward to working closely with the leadership team and the wider organisation to guide the next phase of the team\u2019s development.\u201d<\/p>\n

VAR\u2019s recent seasons have included a brief F3 stint for current Super2 driver Tommy Smith, and a two-race Formula Regional European Championship campaign for former S5000 champion Joey Mawson.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s Formula 3 fortunes have been on the rise, highlighted by a fifth place finish in the 2025 Constructor\u2019s Championship standings.<\/p>\n

VAR will be on the grid this weekend at Albert Park with two drivers in Formula 2 and three in Formula 3 for the Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

\"Otmar<\/p>\n

Otmar Szafnauer at Van Amersfoort Racing, Barcelona 2026
\n
\"\"\/
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