The Haas Formula 1 team should turn to ex-Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer to fill the Chief Operating Officer post it has recently created, according to Ralf Schumacher.
Schumacher was critical of Guenther Steiner’s management during a 2022 season that resulted in his nephew Mick being dropped from Haas at the end of that year.
But amid a torrid campaign last term that saw Haas finish bottom of the Constructors’ Championship, Steiner, who had been with the side since its inception, has not been retained as Team Principal beyond 2023.
Despite their regular war of words that played out in the media, Schumacher isn’t revelling in Steiner’s departure and admits F1 will lose a big personality in his absence.
“He was a brand,” Schumacher said about Steiner on Formula1.de’s YouTube channel.
“It’s a shame because another character type from Formula 1 is leaving. But perhaps it was also time to fill the position with a new one. Only time will tell.
He added: “He brought attention to the team and the sponsors. That was good. But I think Gene Haas was too embarrassed to always drive round the back.”
In a bid to reverse the squad’s fortunes, eponymous team owner Gene Haas has promoted Ayao Komatsu, formerly Trackside Engineering Director, to replace Steiner.
Haas also announced the intent to hire a Europe-based COO to manage non-competition matters, with applicants required to have at least 10 years in an F1 management capacity to be considered.
Amid the rapid rate of turnover at the helm of F1 teams, both Szafnauer and erstwhile Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto are available and would fulfil that criteria.
Binotto’s long-standing ties to Ferrari and Haas’ existing technical collaboration with the Italian marque – that extends to utilising non-listed components and retaining an office within the team’s Maranello headquarters – would make the Italian a standout choice for the vacant position.
However, Schumacher, formerly a six-time grand prix winner, considers Szafnauer to be a more ideal candidate for the position over Binotto, who he predicts Audi will pursue.
“Otmar is someone who is well-known in Formula 1 and who also has expertise. One thing is technical expertise,” he pinpointed.
“But the other thing is to go out and look for good minds, sometimes at universities.
“Having this foresight and generating new people to take the team forward is a skill that I trust Otmar to have. I can’t imagine Mattia Binotto doing that. He’s also more associated with Audi. But I don’t quite see how that fits in with Andreas Seidl [Sauber Group CEO]. I’m curious about that.”
Gene Haas has been insistent that the team will continue to operate under the same model and claimed that it must become more resourceful with its current investment.
Schumacher believes that Szafnauer’s previous experience guiding teams operating on a limited budget such as Force India is an aspect that makes him an appropriate hire.
Unlike Binotto, the German contends that Szafnauer “knows small structures and can get a lot out of them. That is also crucial.
“What’s the point of getting someone who previously had 1,000 people under him? He’ll find it difficult at first,” he continued.
