Former F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer claims Alpine were “double-digit millions below the cap” during his tenure 

Former Alpine F1 boss Otmar Szafnauer recently claimed that during his time leading the French outfit, the team was operating "double-digit millions" below the cost cap implemented by the FIA.

F1's governing body implemented cost-cap regulations for the first time in 2021 to help bridge the gap between the top teams, midfield, and the backmarkers. In its initial iteration, the cap was set at $145 million. It was reduced to $140 million in 2022 and $135 million the following year.

In early 2022, Alpine appointed Otmar Szafnauer as the team principal following his exit from Aston Martin. Under his leadership, the team claimed fourth in the constructors' standings in 2022. Despite a strong start to his tenure, Szafnauer lasted only 18 months at Alpine as he was axed midway through the 2023 season after the Belgian Grand Prix.

In a conversation with F1 pundit Peter Windsor, Szafnauer spoke about how the Renault-backed outfit was not operating at the cost cap limit. While discussing how the cost-cap rules helped midfield teams bridge the gap to the frontrunners without recruiting personnel, Szafnauer stated:

“Yes, but that assumes you’re already at the cap. If you’re not, then there’s headroom to hire. Which we had at Alpine because we were not at the cap. So, when I got there, we were double-digit millions below the cap, so we had headroom to hire.”

Otmar Szafnauer added that the Enstone-based team was understaffed and that he was surprised to find no aero performance group operating at their base. He was quoted as saying:

“When I got there, there was no separate aero performance group for example. And at the bigger teams, they have 20 to 25 people looking at aerodynamic performance right, which is a separate group from the aero group. It’s almost like a vehicle dynamics group, but focused on aero, and Alpine didn’t have that.”

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Alpine's technical director prioritizes innovation over imitation

The Enstone-based outfit capped off a rather lackluster season in 2023, finishing sixth in the constructors' standings, while rivals Aston Martin and McLaren made the jump to the front of the grid.

After a tumultuous season, Alpine heads into the winter break hoping to make similar gains as their rivals. Alpine Technical Director Matt Harman insists the only way to move forward is to innovate and not imitate the front runners for short-term gains. He was quoted as saying by Motorsport Total:

“It’s really important to be inspired. But if you keep imitating something, you’ll never move forward.”

With the regulation cycle running through 2025, Harman suggests the team is already looking two years into the future with its 2024 challenger.

“That means we can get inspiration – but we have to go our own way. Because if you arrive with a car that is current today, it will be out of date in 2025. So you have to think two years into the future.” he added