Aston Martin have announced on Wednesday that their Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer will be leaving the team.
The team has announced the departure of Szafnauer in a press release today after 12 years with the team. The team however did not yet name a replacement for their departing team principal.
It was previously reported back in November of last year, that Szafnauer maybe on his way out of Aston Martin and heading to Alpine. The rumors at that time where triggered by the hiring of former McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh as Aston Martin’s CEO.
Szafnauer joined the team in 2009 when it was still under the Force India guise, and steered the team through financial troubles before it was taken over by the business consortium lead by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll in 2018, and renamed it Racing point for the 2019 and 2020 seasons, to be later rebranded as Aston Martin starting from the 2021 F1 season onwards.
Aston Martin Press Release
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.
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.
Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team announces the departure of Otmar Szafnauer.
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— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 5, 2022