Overview
- In an interview with The Race on Saturday, Flavio Briatore said Alpine’s immediate priority is improving the car and rebuilding trust in the factory, not changing drivers.
- Briatore publicly backed Pierre Gasly’s quality by saying he sees Gasly as one of the top six drivers in Formula 1.
- He acknowledged Franco Colapinto has improved sharply in his first F1 year but declined to commit to Colapinto’s 2027 seat and said the team is not focused on driver decisions now.
- Briatore identified the car’s main weakness as the front end and said the rear is performing well, and he credited the new Mercedes engine and gearbox agreement with lifting team morale.
- He outlined a rebuilding plan after staff cuts from about 1,200–1,300 to roughly 900, including factory investment and a push to restore a ‘culture of winning’ as the route back to podiums.