Otmar Szafnauer, in one of his final actions before departing the F1 paddock and his role as Alpine team boss in Belgium, paid a visit to the Aston Martin motorhome.
While he may have been bidding farewell to his former colleagues, it is worth noting that Szafnauer made the move from the Silverstone-based team to the chaos-struck Alpine at the beginning of 2022.
Sky Deutschland reports that Szafnauer was spotted leaving the Aston Martin facility before leaving Spa-Francorchamps. When asked about it, the 58-year-old stated, “I will not comment. As you can see, my adventure at Alpine has just ended. Now I can join a new team from now on. Let’s wait and see.”
It is believed that Szafnauer’s connection to BWT, an Austrian water company, led to them making the move from Aston Martin to Alpine with him, potentially making him an attractive candidate for his next F1 employer.
What is evident is his disappointment about his departure from Alpine. “I was just starting to get in tune with the team – getting to know everyone, how to motivate them,” he is quoted by DAZN.
“You know, a rising tide lifts all boats, and I was starting to get to that point.”
Regarding his final moments in charge of Alpine, Szafnauer shared, “There were people – not so much me – crying and saying goodbye.
“I told them ‘Look, I’m still alive – I haven’t died’. I’ll be fine.
“Personally, I’ll be fine. My only concern is the wonderful men and women of Enstone and Viry, who work so hard and do a good job. I hope their future is bright.”
