Flavio Briatore is confident that he can turn the Alpine team into title contenders. The Italian businessman has his sights set on the 2027 season, although he is not yet certain if Pierre Gasly is the driver who can compete for the title then. However, Briatore is certain about one thing: ‘If I didn’t believe in our title chances in 2027, I would be sitting on the beach drinking cola right now.’
It’s been ten months since Flavio Briatore made his return to Formula 1. The Italian is an advisor to the Alpine team, and since the departure of team boss Oliver Oakes in early May, he has also taken on the tasks of the departed Brit within the French team. Briatore says he is pleased with the progress at Alpine, although this is not yet visibly translating into good performances on the track. The Italian businessman had previously indicated that he wanted to make Alpine title contenders in 2027, and he confirms these ambitions in Spain.
According to the Alpine advisor, the ambitions for Alpine are not far-fetched at all, he tells in the press conference. “If you see that McLaren was at the back of the field a few years ago. Renault was also a backmarker, and so was Benetton in the early nineties. And in 1994 and 1995 we won the championship.” In 1994 and 1995, Michael Schumacher won his first two world titles on behalf of Benetton. “Things can change very quickly. Red Bull completely dominated, now McLaren does. If I didn’t believe in our title chances in 2027, I would be lying on the beach drinking cola and not sweating in Barcelona.”
Pierre Gasly
Of course, for his title ambitions, Briatore also needs a driver who can win races. Is Pierre Gasly, the more experienced of the two current Alpine drivers, already at the desired level for the businessman? Briatore is not yet sure. “It’s like the chicken and the egg. If a driver is not in a competitive car, it is very difficult to see potential. It is difficult to understand at what level Gasly is at the moment. Let’s first build a competitive car, then we can see. Car and driver go together.”
