Haas have already confirmed th🦩at Ayao Komatsu will replace the departing Guenther Steiner as team principal for the upcoming 2024 season, but the American outfit are also seeking a chief operating officer.  

And ex-F1-driver-turned-pundit Ralf Schumacher believes former Alpine boss Szafnauer would be the perfect candidate, and a better option than somebody like former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto, due to his expe💦rience at leading smaller organisations in the past.  

Speaking on the Formula1.d🌠e YouTube channel, Schumacher said: “Otmar is someone who is well-k🐷nown in Formula 1 and who also has expertise. One thing is technical expertise.

“But the other thing is to go out and loo🥀k 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 imagi♏ne Mattia Binotto doing that. He’s also more associated with Audi. But I don’t quite see how that fits in with Andreas Seidl. 𒉰I’m curious about that.” 

Schumacher added 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 prev﷽iously had 1,000 people under him? He’ll find it difficult at first.”

Despite previously being 💎highly critical of Steiner for the way he managed his nephew, Mick, Schumacher has described the popular Italian’s exit as a “shame” for F1. 

“He was ♉a brand,” he said. “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 broug💎ht attention to the team and the sponsors. That was good. 

“But I think Gene Haas was too embarrassed to always drive round the back♓.”