Flavio Briatore asserts iron grip at Alpine F1, vowing only performance matters in reshaping team strategy, driver lineup, and results.
Briatore claims he has no regrets after replacing Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto, a highly-rated but heavily sponsored driver.
The return of the ‘pay driver’ label, according to some pundits, at a team like Alpine F1 is difficult to understand.
“Franco is paying 5 million for 5 races. And if he performs and the sponsors stay on board, that’s how it will be for the rest of the season. The return of pay drivers in F1,” said Ralf Schumacher in Monaco.
But Briatore defends the decision.
Results Rule at Alpine
“He (Doohan) had five races to prove himself,” said the 75-year-old, even though the 22-year-old Australian rookie was actually replaced after the sixth round.
“After five races, we reviewed the results. And I didn’t like them. You only stay in a business if you’re doing a good job. If you’re doing a bad job, you’re fired. More than a thousand people and their families depend on this.”
“I’m simply protecting the people who work for me. That’s why I always choose the best possible driver for the car.”
Colapinto’s debut race in the Alpine was mixed, including a major crash during qualifying. Briatore, however, stated: “If you look at Sunday’s lap times, you’ll see he ran at a pace similar to (Pierre) Gasly. It’s the first time our cars have been this close.”
Power Consolidates at Alpine
Nonetheless, the cockpit change extends a long period of significant instability at Alpine, notably the recent sudden departure of team principal Oliver Oakes, amid off-track scandal rumors and personal conflicts with Briatore.
Briatore denies any disagreement and claims that Oakes’ resignation also came as a surprise to him. He appears, however, satisfied with the additional power, as Dave Greenwood is now merely the FIA-designated “team representative.”
To officially become team principal, the “executive advisor” Briatore would need FIA approval and would have to be officially employed by Alpine, thus becoming taxable in the UK.
However, regarding his role, he said: “In a Formula 1 team, you need a dictator, maybe a democratic dictator. You need someone accountable.”
“I’m now at Enstone three days a week instead of two,” Briatore added, revealing he’s still streamlining the team structure. “Six directors now report to me. Under Oliver, there were 25. That had to change.”
Performance Over Pit Glamour
Briatore is also known for his streamlined operations management, revealing he recently scrapped plans to enhance Alpine’s aesthetics in the paddock and pit lane.
“We don’t need a better pit wall. We need a faster car. From now on, we’ll only spend money that contributes to performance.”
One thing is certain: since Briatore’s arrival, car performance has improved, at least according to him.
“It’s no longer a truck like last year! But we need to understand why we sometimes finish in the top ten and sometimes fall short. It’s not the engine’s fault.”
“We know our engine costs us three to four tenths of a second, always roughly in that range. That doesn’t explain our inconsistency.”
“We need to focus on other factors and not hide behind the engine excuse.”
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