Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore is already willing to make a prediction for Lewis Hamilton‘s future career as a Ferrari driver. The seven-time world champion is still waiting for a podium finish with his new team and is at risk of becoming the first Ferrari driver since Kimi Räikkönen to go a whole season without reaching the podium in Ferrari red. However, Briatore sees Hamilton fighting for victories again in 2026: ‘He has always been great.’
Flavio Briatore has been active in Formula 1 as an advisor for Alpine since 2024, but he has a long history in the premier class. The Italian businessman was previously team boss at Benetton and Renault. Speaking to Automoto.it, Briatore reflects on that time and his relationship with Ferrari. “No one ever asked me to work for Ferrari, but I do know that when I was working at Benetton, Ferrari had to poach twelve or thirteen people from us to win,” says the current Alpine advisor. “That started with Michael Schumacher.”
Schumacher first lined up at the start of a Formula 1 race as a Ferrari driver in 1996, but it wasn’t until 2000 that the German won his first championship with the Italians. “Luca di Montezemolo (former Ferrari chairman) was and is a great manager with excellent leadership, but even he had to wait five years to win the title. Fred Vasseur will eventually solve all the problems within the team.”
Hamilton
During his time in the premier class, Briatore has also been able to follow the entire Formula 1 career of Lewis Hamilton. The Italian is therefore not afraid to make a statement about the future of the seven-time world champion at Ferrari. “Formula 1 is very complex today, with seven cars driving within two tenths of each other. This year, only McLaren is really competitive, but next year everything will change. Alpine will be fighting for podium places again. And with the new cars, Hamilton will also be competing for victories again. He has always been great.”
