Otmar Szafnauer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Szafnauer in 2018 | |
| Born | (1964-08-13)13 August 1964 (age 60) Semlac, Arad County,SR Romania |
| Nationality | Romanian and American[1] |
| Alma mater | Wayne State University University of Detroit |
| Awards | USF2000 Hall of Fame 2013 |
Otmar Marin Szafnauer (born 13 August 1964) is a Romanian and American engineer. He served as Team Principal of theAlpine F1 Team until the2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
Szafnauer was born inSemlac, a small village in WesternRomania to an American father of German descent and a Romanian mother.[2] His family moved toDetroit in theUnited States when he was seven years old. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering fromWayne State University in Detroit[3] before completing a master's degree in business and finance from theUniversity of Detroit Mercy.[3]
He joined theFord Motor Company in 1986 and was appointed Programmes Manager for Ford in the United States. While working for Ford, he attended theJim Russell Racing Driver School and started racing inFormula Ford in 1991. He left Ford in 1998 to become Operations Director atBritish American Racing inFormula One. After unsuccessful discussions withJaguar Racing, he was hired by Honda on its return to Formula One in 2001, rising to Vice President of Honda Racing Developments and a member of the Management Board of theHonda F1 team.[4] After leaving Honda in 2008,[5] he founded Soft Pauer[6] which released the official Formula One Timing and Track Positioning Application[7] on the iPhone in June 2009.
Szafnauer joinedForce India in October 2009 and played an integral role in the team's improved performance with the team going on an upward path, finishing seventh in2010 and sixth in2011,2013 and2014 before breaking into the top five in2015 and achieving the team-best finish of fourth in2016 and2017. Szafnauer's efforts also played an instrumental role in the team securing a long-term agreement to use theMercedes-Benz powertrain from the 2014 season onwards.
Szafnauer remained with Force India as they were sold in 2019 and becameRacing Point and remained with them still when they becameAston Martin for the 2021 season, before leaving the team in January 2022.[8] In February 2022, he joined the BWT Alpine F1 Team as team principal.[9] He left Alpine after the2023 Belgian Grand Prix.[10]
In 2013, Szafnauer was inducted into theUSF2000 Hall of Fame in recognition of his racing achievements in motorsport over the last twenty years.[11]
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | ATL | IRP | WGI | MDO | RAM 13 | NHS | SHA1 | SHA2 | LRP | ??? | ??? |
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | IRP1 22 | IRP2 19 | 500 | WGI 26 | BFR 18 | TOP | NHS 19 | SHA1 19 | SHA2 26 | LRP | ??? | ??? |
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | PIR1 | PIR2 | 500 DNQ | RIR | WGI | MDO1 | NHS | ATL1 | ATL2 | MDO1 | – | – |
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