Sports / Auto industry
Otmar Szafnauer
born 1964 · engineer, Formula One team principal
Romanian-born, Detroit-raised engineer who went from Ford program manager to running Force India, Racing Point, Aston Martin and Alpine in Formula One.
- Born
Semlac, Romania
age 62- Birth name
- Otmar Marin Szafnauer
- Detroit years
- 1971–1998
- Field
- Sports, Auto industry
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Szafnauer was born in western Romania and moved with his family to Detroit at age seven. He earned an electrical engineering degree at Wayne State University and a master's in business and finance at the University of Detroit Mercy. In 1986 he joined Ford Motor Company, where he rose to program manager. While at Ford he went to racing school and began competing in Formula Ford in 1991. He left in 1998 for British American Racing in Formula One, later worked for Honda Racing, and from 2009 led Force India, which became Racing Point and then Aston Martin. He was team principal of Alpine from 2022 to 2023.
Highlights
- Electrical engineering degree, Wayne State University
- Ford Motor Company engineer and program manager, 1986–1998
- Chief operating officer and team principal of Force India / Racing Point / Aston Martin
- Team principal of the Alpine F1 Team, 2022–2023
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1980s
Wayne State University
He earned his electrical engineering degree at Detroit's public research university.
Studied here · 1980s–1990s
University of Detroit Mercy
He completed a master's in business and finance at this Jesuit and Mercy university.