Flavio Briatore: “We can win races in 2026”
Flavio Briatore © Monaco Tribune
The 75-year-old Italian, back at the helm of Alpine, set out his global ambitions in two interviews given during the Monaco Grand Prix.
Flavio Briatore makes no secret of his satisfaction at being back in Formula 1 after a fifteen-year absence. “I left F1 in 2009 because of that Singapore business,” he told Le Monde, pointing out that “the decision by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile was overturned and I was even awarded damages.”
The businessman and Monegasque resident is fully committed to his new unofficial role as team principal: “I’m 100% invested,” he told Le Monde.
Ambitious goals for Alpine
Briatore has clear ambitions for the French team. “We can win races in 2026, I assure you. And, in 2027, we want to be able to compete for the world championship,” he told Le Monde. His confidence is fuelled in particular by the strategic decision to replace their Renault engine with Mercedes in 2026.
“Going for the Mercedes engine next year is a tough choice for Renault,” he explained to Monaco Matin. “McLaren has a Mercedes engine, so do Williams and Aston Martin and of course the Mercedes team, so that says something, doesn’t it?”
All eyes on Pierre Gasly
As for drivers, Briatore is banking on Pierre Gasly, who he believes is capable of performing at the highest level. “With a better car and improved concentration, he can be that driver,” he confided to Le Monde. “For me, there’s Verstappen at the top and, behind him, Pierre, Charles [Leclerc] and a few others.”
Briatore’s recipe for success
Having won seven world titles with Schumacher and Alonso, the Italian brings his managerial philosophy to bear: “Sport is about managing people,” he told Le Monde. Speaking to Monaco Matin, he tempered expectations: “People always expect miracles, but God performs those!”