The worst kept secret in Formula One has finally been revealed: Otmar Szafnauer has joined the BWT Alpine F1 Team as Team Principal ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Szafnauer officially left Aston Martin last month and it became apparent he would head to Alpine after the confirmation that Marcin Budkowski was leaving the Enstone-based team a few days later.

The 57-year-old had spent over a decade at Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin before his exit. He led the team to a famous victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix with Sergio Perez behind the wheel.

As well as Szafnauer’s appointment, Bruno Famin joins the team as Executive Director.

Famin had been Director of Operations at the FIA after joining them in 2019. He also spent 13 years at Peugeot before taking on his role at the FIA.

Davide Brivio, who joined Alpine last year as Racing Director after guiding Suzuki to the Riders’ and Teams’ Championships in MotoGP two years ago, moves positions and will be the Director of Racing Expansion Projects in 2022.

Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal of BWT Alpine F1 Team, said: “I am thrilled to join BWT Alpine F1 Team and ready to get to work with everyone to achieve our challenge: bring the team to fight for the Championship within the next 100 races. My attention is focused on preparing for the start of the season in Bahrain. As one of the three car manufacturers involved in Formula 1, Alpine is fully armed to achieve its ambition, I can’t wait to start the journey!”

Bruno Famin, Executive Director of Alpine Racing, said: “It’s great to be back in competition, and even greater to join Alpine, with such ambition and unique engineering capacities. Viry-Châtillon is among the greatest factories one could dream of, I can’t wait to join its amazing talents, and to work closely with the teams in Enstone, Dieppe, Les Ulis and Boulogne-Billancourt.”

Davide Brivio, Director of Racing Expansion Projects, said: “Alpine’s band of racers is a key to its long-term performance, and I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to the exciting ambition to shape a new culture within racing that is responsible and inclusive. Formula 1 is a flagship, but we also need to develop our ambition in new territories, and I am ready to support Laurent Rossi towards this goal.”