Amid Mattia Binotto Rumors, Alpine Breaks Promise to Stab Otmar Szafnauer in the Back

Fortunes don’t take too long to change in F1. And more thing, don’t ever believe what they tell you. These will be two life lessons Otmar Szafnauer would have learned as he serves his last ever Grand Prix weekend as an Alpine F1 team principal. Granted, the results have been embarrassingly tragic this year, but from Szafnauer’s perspective, the Romanian-American may have been left high and dry by the French team.

If you didn’t already know, Szafnauer along with Sporting Director, Alan Permane have been sacked by the Enstone-based team. After a string of woeful results, enough is enough for the team who have gone through a management change after a hefty $218 million investment. But has the change of power also resulted in a voiding of promises?

Otmar Szafnauer was promised more time

Otmar Szafnauer only a few days ago declared, “I know that Luca [de Meo] is a man of his word, and he gave me his word on 100 races to start winning, and sometimes you take a half step back to take two steps forward,” as he prepped to work on this long-term project with Alpine.

But the Renault Group CEO seemingly broke his promise to Szafnauer. Just a few hours ago, Sky Sports F1 reported, “Alpine have sacked team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, while chief technical officer Pat Fry has left to join Formula 1 rivals Williams.” And this comes in light of a certain Ferrari man joining the team.

But with these two essential cogs in an F1 team machinery gone, what’s next for Alpine?

Read More: Unconcerned About Alpine’s Unsteady Ship, Boss Otmar Szafnauer Puts on Blinkers to Achieve Promised Target

Alpine already had replacements lined up for Szafnauer and Permane

It’s no secret that these decisions aren’t taken on a mere whim. Even though Szafnauer himself may not have been aware of these developments, the upper echelons of the Alpine hierarchy were arguably ready with a plan.

According to Top Gear, “We’re told that Bruno Famin – who was only hired as Alpine’s VP of motorsport a week or two ago – will become interim team principal for the time being, with the current boss of the Alpine Academy Julian Rouse named as the interim sporting director.” 

But that isn’t it. As it turns out, ex-Ferrari boss, Mattia Binotto is in the driver’s seat to take this role all for himself!

Can Alpine turn their topsy-turvy ship around in the 2nd half of the 2023 season?

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