Flavio Briatore counters critics as he sets a two-year plan to propel Alpine F1 into the top four.
Since this morning, Flavio Briatore has been the new special advisor at Alpine F1… and it took him less than a day to insult his detractors—those critical of his return to Alpine F1.
Is Briatore’s return morally legitimate? Does it indicate that Alpine F1 is going in circles? Is it also a vote of no confidence for Bruno Famin?
To those criticizing his comeback, Briatore sharply retorted with a “Fuck off!” on Sky TV. Pure class!
Fortunately, the Italian was able to elaborate somewhat on his argument. Was he aiming for a return to F1 for a long time?
“Not really.”
“I know the president of Renault, Luca de Meo, very well and I have a lot of respect for him.”
“He encountered difficulties with the team’s performance. He asked if it was possible for me to be the special advisor to the president. We negotiated for two or three months, maybe more.”
At 74, is Briatore still the right man for the job?
“I think I have the necessary motivation to do it. I think it is possible. I feel it is possible to get the team back on track to be competitive, and that’s what I love, returning to competition.”
Is Flavio Briatore’s return also a stark vote of no confidence for Bruno Famin, the still-active team director? Is Famin’s position compromised? Does Briatore aspire to become the next team director of Alpine F1?
“No, no. Team director? We have one, we have Bruno. There’s no problem.”
“I work with Bruno, I work with everyone. As far as I’m concerned, I work with Luca. That’s my job, I report to him and together we try to achieve the best performance for the team.”
“I’m not changing the tires yet. I don’t want to change the tires, I don’t want to drive the car.”
Briatore has set a goal for Alpine F1: to be in the top 4 in the constructors’ standings in two years…
“I just want to be competitive. In two years, we’ll be there.”
“I want to make my contribution. We have a team director who is doing a very good job, we have an organization that works together, and I am sure we will put everything in place very soon.”
Considering abandoning the Renault engine in 2026?
Briatore will need to advise De Meo on a crucial issue: whether or not Alpine F1 will make a shocking decision to drop the Renault engine in 2026, possibly becoming a customer team (maybe of Mercedes F1)?
Two years is also the deadline set by Briatore to be competitive… Obviously, this is no coincidence.
The Italian did not formally deny the possibility of becoming a customer team… while ensuring that no decision had been made. And it doesn’t matter if in the past, he seemed closer to Enstone than to Viry.
“No, it’s not a topic at the moment.”
“Of course, to make the team competitive, we are looking at different opportunities and then we will choose the best one for the team.”
“In Formula 1, there are always a lot of rumors. At the moment, we have made no decision. We are working and will find the best solution for the team.”
Briatore’s Bold F1 Return: Targets Top 4 in 2 Years. Briatore’s Bold F1 Return: Targets Top 4 in 2 Years
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