Having then felt sad with the squad’s dealing with of the Piastri fallout – which he has mentioned that he was not accountable for – Szafnauer was quizzed on why he didn’t select to stroll away from Alpine at that time.
“I couldn’t have predicted the long run,” the previous group boss defined. “I had a contract, I needed to do one of the best I can for my group. I’m nonetheless working laborious, I’m nonetheless delivering relative to at present. We have been sixth in that championship however we had a few podiums.
ANALYSIS: What subsequent for Alpine after Renault announce the top of F1 works engine programme?
“We’re scoring factors repeatedly – it wasn’t a catastrophe. We’re within the midfield. It’s not like at present – I don’t know the place they’re at present, ninth or one thing within the championship. Right now it’s a catastrophe.
“Again then, yeah, it’s a half-step again, however typically you are taking a half-step again to take two steps ahead. The recruitment was occurring, good individuals have been coming, I used to be going to show that group right into a top-three group, which is what we needed to do.”
As a part of this, Szafnauer says that he was working with the FIA to assist with energy unit equalisation, one thing that he believes would have helped Alpine to be extra on a par with their rivals.
