Flavio Briatore has taken a sharp jab at the reasons behind Alpine’s decline in Formula 1. “We are here to win. We are not here to play tourist and travel the world,” he states emphatically.
Briatore is visibly weighed down by the current situation. Last season, Alpine finished dead last in the constructors’ championship. Among the drivers who took to the track—Pierre Gasly, the prematurely replaced Jack Doohan, and his successor Franco Colapinto—Gasly scored the most points, but it was a meager total: just 22. This left the Frenchman languishing in eighteenth place in the championship standings.
“This situation is very difficult for us. I’m not used to this. Maybe twenty years ago, but now every Sunday is torture. You have no chance. You arrive at the circuits and see the mechanics setting up the garage, working hard. Then you see all those people giving their utmost, and you can’t enjoy the race or go home with points. That’s incredibly frustrating. I hope we can repay everything double next season,” Briatore lamented in an interview with The Race.
‘It turned out to be an underestimation’
Alpine decided early in 2025 to halt the development of their car to fully focus on the regulations for 2026, when the team will switch to Mercedes engines. A choice Briatore deemed necessary, but one that backfired.
“We didn’t have the capacity to develop both the 2025 car and the 2026 one. That was our belief when we made the decision, but it turned out to be an underestimation, as everyone else has done a better job than we have. At first, our car was still P6, P5 on the grid. Then everyone made significant improvements to their cars, more than we did. That’s why we eventually took the risk to put all our effort into the 2026 car.”
Briatore’s Bold Claims: Structural Issues and Engine Woes in F1
Flavio Briatore isn’t just pointing fingers at technical issues; he’s shining a spotlight on deep-rooted organizational problems. He claims the lack of stable, daily management has been a major setback for years. “The team was run by people from France, from Paris. Managing Formula 1 from Paris is impossible. It’s already tough enough to manage it day-to-day in Enstone,” he asserts.
The Seriousness of F1
But the most pressing issue, according to Briatore, remains the engine. Renault has failed to establish itself as a clear contender in the hybrid era. “When the new engine regulations came in, Renault perhaps didn’t take it seriously enough to invest the money the federation required. Everyone else was pouring in huge sums: Mercedes, Honda, and Ferrari. Renault thought, ‘This is good enough.’ I’m not pointing fingers; it just happened that way. Back then, Carlos Ghosn was president, and maybe management lacked the courage to tell him that you have to take Formula 1 seriously. Now we see the results,” he explains.
Switching to Mercedes: A Rational Move
Briatore views the switch to Mercedes engines as a logical, not emotional, decision. “If you want to be competitive, you need the same weapon as everyone else,” he insists.
Unfazed by Challenges
Despite the daunting task ahead, Briatore remains unfazed. “It’s a huge, huge challenge. But I’ve never had a small challenge. At Benetton, people laughed at us because we were a T-shirt manufacturer. Yet we won races, without motorsport in our DNA,” he recalls, showcasing his unwavering confidence.
