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Ex-Alpine Boss Otmar Szafnauer Paid Team Salaries ‘Twice’ from His Own Pocket: “It Was in Millions”

Somin Bhattacharjee
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Ex-Alpine Boss Otmar Szafnauer Paid Team Salaries 'Twice' from His Own Pocket: "It Was in Millions"

Otmar Szafnauer was a part of Team Silverstone in its various names from 2009 to 2022. In his time, he developed a strong bond with the staff there, which is why when the outfit entered financial turmoil in 2017, he took the onus to make things better.

In a recent interview, Szafnauer discussed the issues at Team Silverstone when it was called Force India. Because then-owner Vijay Malaya’s assets were seized by the Indian government as part of an investigation surrounding financial fraud, the team entered liquidation, and there was no money for its employees to be paid.

On the High-Performance podcast, Szafnauer revealed that he paid their salaries twice. When asked about the amount, he said “It was in the millions.” 

“I knew the salaries were not going to get paid. And I know how difficult it is for people… Some people live from paycheck to paycheck.” 

Szafnauer, however, did not tell his employees where the salaries came from. “A few knew,” he admitted. Presumably, they were high-ranking bosses, or people working in finance, who had to know the origin of the money.

A consortium led by Lawrence Stroll took over Force India

When Force India (Team Silverstone) was close to losing its place on the grid, Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll came swooping in and pulled the outfit out of his misery. In 2019, he changed their name to Racing Point and had BWT (a Canadian company) become its title sponsor.

Financially, the team was doing great, but Stroll made some significant changes — bringing his son Lance on board. Two years later, he rebranded Racing Point into Aston Martin after he bought the iconic British company.

Szafnauer stayed on as Aston Martin’s Team Principal until 2021, after which he joined Alpine. Following a one and a half year spell at Enstone, he left the French team and has not been a part of the paddock since.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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