Szafnauer 'amazed' by reliability of F1's 2022 cars

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Alpine team boss Otmar Szafnauer says he is surprised by the reliability demonstrated so far by F1's new-generation cars, insisting he was expecting more problems to befall the new machines.

F1 teams are fielding all-new designs this season following wholesale changes to the sport's technical regulations.

The opening race in Bahrain saw three DNFs, two of which were linked to Red Bull's fuel pump issues. But in Saudi Arabia, terminal problems hit Alfa's Valtteri Bottas, Alpine's Fernando Alonso, McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda ho didn't even start the 50-lap race in Jeddah.

But all things considered, Szafnauer believes that teams have so far enjoyed a remarkable level of reliability, while the American explained the reasons for the series of DNFs in Jeddah.

"One, the cars are all new," he reasoned. "So you've got 100% new parts on the car, which is rare.

Usually, you carry over a decent percentage of the parts. And when you have carryover stuff, they're proven from a reliability standpoint.

"And the other thing that happened is everybody knew that an engine freeze was coming.

"So every engine manufacturer was making changes, and when you have changes, both car and engine, those types of things happen, especially when you're pushing for performance."

Read also: Alpine forced to change Alonso's engine for Australian GP

Szafnauer sees the solid reliability enjoyed by the teams as a testimony to how well everyone has prepared for F1's new era.

"My real surprise isn't that there are reliability issues," he added. "My real surprise is that there aren't more of them, because everything's so new.

"I think everyone's done a really, really good job on the reliability front.

"Remember the old days? You'd come to the first race and eight cars would finish or six cars would finish.

"So with this being a totally new package, and everyone doing a revamped engine for the freeze, I'm amazed how good the cars are."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.