Flavio Briatore's return to Formula 1 marked an important turning point for Alpine, which in 2024 finally found the way to leave behind the difficulties of recent years. However, the Italian manager did not hesitate to point the finger at the previous management, responsible - in his opinion - for one of the biggest strategic errors in recent times: losing two talents like Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri in the same season. In an interview with Car engine and sport, Briatore explained how it was necessary to rebuild the team from the ground up to bring Alpine back to a level of competitiveness that had never been so evident since his return to the paddock.
Criticism of past management: “Unforgivable ineptitude”
In an interview with Car engine and sport, Briatore did not spare criticism of the previous management, defining the simultaneous loss of two drivers of the caliber of Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri as “ineptitude”: “Fernando wanted to stay because the previous season had not gone so badly. We wanted to sign the contract in Canada, but Laurent Rossi suddenly disappeared. He was unreachable. So I started talking to Lawrence Stroll and in the end we signed with Aston Martin. The mistakes were all of the Alpine management”.
Piastri's situation was equally emblematic. The young talent, now Constructors' World Champion with McLaren and winner of his first GP, left the team due to a lack of confidence in a project that was crumbling: a loss that still weighs on the French team.
The rebirth signed by Briatore
Since Briatore's return, Alpine has changed face. The team achieved a double podium in Brazil and significantly improved its competitiveness. Also with a view to the future, important steps have been taken with the decision to give up the production of Power Units, becoming a customer team with engines Mercedes from 2026.
“We finally have a clear and simple structure,” Briatore explained. “The first step was to get rid of an engine that was costing us a lot and bringing us nothing. Now we can build something solid for the future.”
Briatore’s decision not to take on the role of team principal was equally strategic: “I’ve done it long enough. I don’t need a title to make decisions. I want to deal with the big picture and not be in the factory every day. With Luca de Meo, I have the opportunity to do everything I have in mind in the coming years.”
An ambitious future
Briatore does not hide behind the current difficulties, but looks ahead with determination: “In 2026 we want to compete for the podium in 50% of the races and aim for the title in 2027. We have a young, motivated team, and we are building the foundations for a winning future”.
