Flavio Briatore has brought Alpine back to the podium, turning around an entire season in a single race. His comments on the performances of Ocon, Gasly, and…Colapinto.
The Brazilian GP has once again proven itself as one of the most thrilling (and spectacular) events on the calendar. While Max Verstappen’s remarkable comeback from seventeenth to first stole much of the spotlight, it likely overshadowed the two drivers who joined him on the São Paulo podium: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. The French Alpine duo, after numerous disputes and heated clashes (notably after the Monaco GP) and constant criticism of their underperforming car, delivered a flawless performance that brought the Enstone-based constructor a stunning result—thanks to skill, and a bit of good fortune (which never hurts).
Alpine’s unprecedented double podium in Brazil, the first since the team adopted the Alpine BWT name instead of Renault, was commented on by Flavio Briatore. The Italian, who led the former Renault team to triumph in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso, shared his thoughts on the French team’s performance: “Today, we also got a bit lucky, but that takes nothing away from an incredible Ocon in the wet and Gasly, who did his part. Our car is far more competitive in wet conditions than on dry track.”
““Unfortunately, I don’t think the next three races will be in the wet. This year we did some ‘housecleaning,’ introducing just a single upgrade to avoid disrupting the 2025 project, and the upgrade was designed to benefit 2025 and next season. I only authorized this one step, and it went well, since this year, several teams took a step back after introducing updates. So, kudos to our engineers!” !”
Comments on Ocon, Gasly, and…Colapinto
In a season that has been tough for Alpine, this unexpected double podium in Brazil is realistically a huge breath of fresh air. Briatore reflected on Alpine’s season so far, specifically mentioning the “housecleaning” needed for the 2025 season: “We need to get back to having people who work for a racing team, not a corporation” (a pointed comment about Renault, whose split with Alpine is expected in 2026). ). Abbiamo rimesso le cose come devono essere, con il team con base in Gran Bretagna indipendente da tutto il resto. We’ve reset things to where they need to be, with our UK-based team independent from everything else. We’re back to the days of my Renault, where the engineers think only about F1, and the team is solely focused on F1; everything else stays out.”“
““When I arrived, the team was 1,150 people strong, and now we have 50 more. The risks taken during the race? Risks always depend on the team’s strength. When you’re competitive, it’s easier to take risks. Today, we took some risks, thinking a red flag might come, but the result came because we were competitive. If we’d been mid-pack, nothing would have changed The wet conditions helped offset our engine deficit, but in Las Vegas, we’ll definitely struggle, as it’s an engine-dependent circuit. We’re missing about three-tenths of an engine.” “.
Briatore then discussed the Constructors’ standings, his drivers’ skills, and indirectly, Franco Colapinto, taking a jab at the Argentine Williams driver:”Climbing in the Constructors’? From 9th to 6th isn’t 30 million; it’s 29.2. That’s the first thing I asked. Today, our drivers did an outstanding job. Today we saw, with young drivers hyped as the next big thing (meaning Colapinto, specifically), just how much experience still matters in F1.All in all, it was a fantastic GP.”
Photo: BWT Alpine F1