As Alpine continues to undergo significant changes both on and off the track, Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore has made it clear that 2026 will be a pivotal year for the team’s ambitions. Speaking during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Briatore emphasised that Alpine must begin showing signs of competitiveness, including occasional podium finishes, if they hope to contend for victories and titles shortly.
“It takes time,” Briatore acknowledged when reflecting on the team’s trajectory since his return to Formula 1 a year ago. “We’re back in the business, with Alpine. Not easy because the team has gone through a lot of change, especially in the last four or five years, not only now. But little by little, we try to put the team together, the people together.”
The Enstone-based outfit finds itself at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with just 11 points after the Spanish Grand Prix, reflecting a challenging 2025 campaign so far. Amid this difficult season, the team is already looking ahead to the introduction of a new power unit and gearbox in 2026, which they hope will mark the beginning of a turnaround.
“We’re looking for next year as well – for the new engine and the new gearbox from Mercedes-Benz,” Briatore continued. “So, this is our goal for next year. In the meantime, we need to be more competitive. We are not competitive for the moment, like I want, but [it] takes time.”
Sitting alongside Red Bull boss Christian Horner during the press conference at the Spanish Grand Prix, Briatore underlined that building a winning outfit doesn’t happen overnight. “You see this maestro next to me, it takes a lot of time to build a winning car, a winning race, a winning team. I know I’ve done it before. I hope I’ll do it again.”
Alpine aiming for 2027 glory
Briatore has recently hinted at a broader vision for Alpine: to be in the mix for victories and even championships by 2027. When asked if the current setup could deliver on that ambition, his response balanced optimism with realism.
“You need a dream as well, you know,” he said. “When you are in Formula 1, you’re dreaming as well to do the job. You hope. And in this moment, the team is quite new. The team is not performing like I wanted because we still have… a lot of the situation in the team is not clear.
“But we need to clear up everything. Before we start performing like I want, I believe we need all of 2025 now, and we need 2026 to be competitive, to at least sometimes see the podium very close. These are what we’re looking for.”
He added optimistically, “And why not 2027? We see what happened to Red Bull. We see what happened to everybody else. Depends as well on what kind of driver we have in 2027.”
Internal upheaval and driver changes
Behind the scenes, Alpine has been dealing with further disruption following the sudden resignation of Team Principal Oliver Oakes in May. Briatore has temporarily assumed his responsibilities while the team searches for a permanent replacement.
“We’re looking. For the moment, nothing changed. I feel sorry for Ollie, honestly, because I had a very good relationship with him. He was a good team principal,” Briatore said. “Everybody knows for personal reasons he stopped and resigned from Alpine. We’re looking. We don’t want to make any mistake. I’m prepared to take some time. But the moment we decide what is the new team manager, put in this way, we’ll tell you.”
Amid these leadership changes, Alpine has also reshuffled its driver development plans. Jack Doohan has been replaced by Argentine prospect Franco Colapinto; a move that drew attention after being announced shortly after Oakes’ exit.
Addressing speculation surrounding the circumstances, Briatore dismissed any rumours linking the two events as “completely false.”
Alpine issued a brief statement confirming Briatore would act as interim Team Principal effective immediately and noted the team “will not be making any further comment.”
As the team looks to steady its course, the coming seasons will be critical in determining whether Briatore’s vision for Alpine can be realised.
