Flavio Briatore calls for a generational shift in F1, urging older drivers to step aside—except for his protégé, Fernando Alonso.
Flavio Briatore believes all older drivers should make way for more rookies. The Italian feels the older generation has had its chance and understands why teams like Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are focusing on young drivers. However, the only exception to this rule, in his view, is eternal rookie Fernando Alonso, who happens to be under his management.
Briatore observes that the era of veterans in Formula 1 is coming to an end. “It’s time for a generational shift,” he stated in an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport. This transition is evident, he notes, from the lack of real interest in Sainz, despite being the only driver to win a race without the RB19 in 2023. “Sainz is a very good driver, but when he became available, no top team moved to secure him. They prefer to bet on young drivers,” the former team principal concluded.
He cites two examples: “Toto Wolff is betting on Antonelli, Christian Horner on Lawson,” says Briatore. For now, however, it will still be Sergio Pérez driving alongside Max Verstappen, as confirmed by the 2025 entry list. “Young drivers are hungrier than a driver with a wife, two kids, and 30 or 40 million in the bank. Enzo Ferrari once said that drivers become slower when they have children,” Briatore recalls the words of the legendary Italian carmaker—a claim Verstappen aims to disprove next year.
The Alpine man noted that the shift began when McLaren replaced Daniel Ricciardo with a younger Australian. “I think Piastri’s rise made people think,” Briatore says. Oliver Bearman reinforced this trend with his substitute appearance for Sainz at the start of the 2024 season. “Bearman steps into a Ferrari overnight and delivers a great race. Young drivers are much better trained,” observes the Italian. “And the pressure from competition is higher. In Formula 2, you can be first today and fourteenth tomorrow,” he adds.
In the past, there was less competition in the junior categories below Formula 1. “Drivers like Hamilton or Rosberg used to win 70 percent of all races,” Briatore points out to illustrate his argument. He noticed this even with drivers he worked with himself. “When Schumacher joined us, he lacked experience. With Fernando, we first put him in the Minardi,” he recalls about the two world champions. “Verstappen didn’t even have a driver’s license when he started with Toro Rosso,” he adds as a third example.
Though Briatore is critical of the longevity of older drivers, Alonso, who debuted in 2001 and is contracted until 2026, is, according to him, a different case. “Fernando is the exception. I’ve been his manager for 22 years,” he explains his insight. “He has money but no children. And he’s still hungry,” he says of the Spaniard with whom he won two titles at Renault. “When he’s heading for fourteenth place at the finish, he wants to be thirteenth. Someone else his age would just do the job by the book if it’s only for fourteenth,” the Italian argues.
Briatore’s dual role as an Alpine advisor and Alonso’s manager does create some internal conflict for the former team principal. “I have two different feelings in my chest,” he admits. “On one hand, I wish Fernando could make a fresh start in 2026 with Aston Martin and Adrian Newey, but on the other, he’s competing against Alpine,” he explains his dilemma. Still, it’s clear that Briatore wouldn’t be upset if Alonso achieved something extraordinary. “A world championship as a farewell would be a brilliant story, wouldn’t it?” he concludes.
- Discover More>Near Collapse: Zak Brown Reveals McLaren’s 2020 Financial Struggle
- Follow us on >Facebook and >Twitter for F1 updates.
Briatore: Older F1 Drivers Should Step Aside for Rookies Briatore: Older F1 Drivers Should Step Aside for Rookies
