Van Amersfoort Racing has confirmed Otmar Szafnauer as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, with the appointment having taken effect on the 1st of February 2026.
The decision signals clear ambition from the Dutch team. Szafnauer spent more than thirty years at the sharp end of Formula 1, leading teams through periods of significant growth and competition. That depth of experience is precisely what Van Amersfoort Racing believes it needs as it looks to take its racing programmes to the next level.
What changes and what doesn’t
Brad Joyce remains Team Principal, and the wider senior group of Klaudija Jakaj, Francisco Freitas, and Anneleen Walch stays in place. Szafnauer sits above that structure, taking on strategic and operational oversight rather than replacing the existing leadership.
Frits van Amersfoort and Rob Niessink have both stepped back from operational roles, and this appointment fills the space their departures created at the top of the organisation.
What Szafnauer is walking into
Van Amersfoort Racing currently competes in FIA Formula 2, Formula 3, the Formula Regional European Championship, and Formula 4. The team has a long track record of developing young drivers, but competition in junior formulae is as intense as it has ever been, and the margin for error is slim.
Szafnauer’s job is to sharpen the team across technical, sporting, and operational departments and push for more consistent results across all programmes.
Szafnauer said: “Van Amersfoort Racing has a strong reputation for developing talent and competing at a high level across multiple categories. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team and the wider organisation to guide the next phase of the team’s development.”
Joyce added: “Otmar’s experience and leadership add valuable perspective to the organisation. His appointment significantly strengthens VAR as we continue to evolve and pursue our long-term vision.”
The bigger picture
Van Amersfoort Racing turns 50 this year and bringing in a figure of Szafnauer’s profile suggests the team is not content to simply mark the occasion. Whether he can translate F1-level thinking into results in the junior categories is the question the paddock will now be watching closely.
