ASTON SMARTIN’ AT OTMAR’S EXIT

ASTON MARTIN are searching for a new team principle after Otmar Szafnauer quit.

The Romanian-born engineer, who has been linked with a switch to F1 rivals Alpine, leaves Aston Martin after 13 years.

A statement from the Silverstone-based team said the current leadership would take over until Szafnauer’s replacement is announced. But former McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh, who joined in September, could be in line to take the helm.

Aston Martin finished seventh in the 2021 constructor standings while four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (above) was 12th in the drivers standings and Lance Stroll one place further back.

They finished a whopping 65 points behind Red Bull’s junior team Alpha Tauri, but would have had significantly more points at the end of the season had German Vettel not been stripped of his secondplace finish in Hungary for a fuel irregularity.