“Act Like a Pirate”: Otmar Szafnauer Exposes Alpine’s Authoritarian Antics to Give Mattia Binotto a Wake Up Call

Except for Alpine itself, everyone around in the F1 paddock and the fans get the feeling that the French team is in shambles. Although it may be a part of a major plan for the future, the change in the role of the CEO Laurent Rossi followed by the sacking of Alan Permane and Otmar Szafnauer only points toward problems at the team. Mattia Binotto is now given a wake-up call by Otmar Szafnauer as he exposed Alpine’s authoritarian antics. What did Szafnauer reveal?

Just a couple of days after Otmar Szafnauer’s sacking, speculations of Mattia Binotto being assigned as the new Team Principal came out. However, it’s been 2 weeks since the speculations started and nothing has been finalized as of yet. It is believed that Mattia Binotto will be bringing Ferrari Power Unit specialists and other engineers with him to the French stable.

Otmar Szafnauer however cautioned the former Ferrari boss about the authoritarian antics at Alpine. He explained how unlike the top teams like Red Bull and Mercedes, the marketing, finance, and other similar departments are not subordinated to the TP at Alpine, who wants to take control of everything. Szafnauer further emphasized Alpine’s slow pace while taking decisions by giving the example of Mattia Binotto.

According to motorsport-total.com, Otmar Szafnauer told SiriusXM, “If you hire someone and have to sign a contract within a day because that’s how we do it in Formula 1, you can’t give yourself two weeks. If it takes two weeks, the employee may have gone somewhere else. You have to act like a pirate.” [translated via Google]

Read More: $218,000,000 License to Kill Allows Alpine to Recruit Mattia Binotto & Initiate Ambitious F1 Plans

However, the interim Team Principal at Alpine suggested that the French stable is in no hurry to sign a new permanent TP. Let’s see what it’s all about.

Bruno Famin advises that there’s no hurry at Alpine

With Otmar Szafnauer gone, Alpine has decided to give the TP position to the Vice President of Alpine Motorsports, Bruno Famin on an interim basis. Famin then explained how Alpine is in no hurry to rush the permanent TP decision and will first focus on the things that need to be sorted within the team.

According to Formula1.com, Bruno Famin speaking with the F1 Nation podcast said “As far as the Team Principal function is concerned, for the time being I’m going to do it, I will think about it, and I will decide. But there is no hurry, we can manage it.”

What do you think about Otmar Szafnauer’s wake-up call for Mattia Binotto?

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