A fiery Flavio Briatore has shared his thoughts on the decision made by Alpine’s former management to let Alonso and Piastri leave. Here are Briatore’s words about Alpine
Flavio Briatore has been making waves with his statements in recent days. After a season that ended in sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, with Alpine showing marked improvement from the Austin Grand Prix onward despite a disastrous start, the team boss hasn’t held back in his post-season remarks. His statements have been sharp and critical, targeting what he described as “reckless decisions” by the team’s previous management. According to Briatore, a comprehensive remedy was needed to cure Alpine, a team in serious trouble after the season’s initial races.
When Briatore took over the reins at Alpine in May, he announced significant “restructuring work,” overhauling most of the top roles within the team. His first move was to replace the resigning Team Principal Bruno Famin with young talent Oliver Oakes, whom Briatore referred to as a “young prospect worth nurturing.”
Thus far, the approach seems to be paying off, particularly considering that Alpine earned over 80% of its points in the latter part of the season. This turnaround coincided with Briatore and Oakes making their first adjustments to the car’s development package. The new floor introduced at the Austin Grand Prix and the subsequent upgrades implemented at later races revitalized a team that had fallen to ninth place in the Constructors’ standings (ahead of only Sauber) but ultimately finished the season in sixth.
Briatore’s remarks on Alpine
Briatore did not hold back when criticizing the former management of the Renault-powered team. Back in August, ahead of the Zandvoort Grand Prix, he had already shared his views on the team’s struggles: “The main issue for Alpine? There was no management, and I think that was the biggest factor affecting the team. At some point, they hired the wrong managers, and it seems like the list of mistakes was long. On the contrary, there isn’t much of a list of good decisions. You can’t manage a team from Paris or elsewhere; you need to be present on the ground”. “
Commenting on Alpine’s current situation, Briatore said: “was never truly far from the team. I was working as a sports ambassador and managing Fernando Alonso, so I kept in touch. I spoke with Luca de Meo, and he gave me the opportunity to implement my vision. The first step was to move away from our engine; it was too costly and brought no benefits, and the same applied to the gearbox. I represent the president, and I make the decisions. Now we see light at the end of the tunnel, and with the Mercedes power unit, we have a foundation to build a winning team. This is my mission.”
Finally, Briatore delivered his anticipated criticism of his predecessors, referencing events from 2022: “It takes a certain level of ineptitude to lose two drivers like Alonso and Piastri in a single summer. Fernando wanted to stay; the season wasn’t bad, and he wanted to renew his contract. But Laurent Rossi vanished, so I started talking to Aston Martin and Williams. We eventually signed with Aston; we didn’t get along with Alpine’s management, and the mistakes were entirely theirs.” ” A fitting conclusion in true Briatore style, though it’s hard to find fault in his observations.
Photo: BWT Alpine F1 Team