Briatore Promises Victories for Alpine in 2026
Flavio Briatore, at the head of the Alpine team, has assured that the team has the capacity to win races in 2026. Furthermore, he has set an ambitious goal: to become contenders for the world championship in 2027.
Briatore took over the leadership of Alpine, the Renault Formula 1 team, following the unexpected resignation of Oliver Oakes in early May.Currently, Alpine is in ninth position, with only six points, after having finished in sixth place in the championship for the last two seasons.
Briatore, who returned to an advisory role last year, oversaw the decision to halt the production of F1 engines at Renault’s factory in Viry, France.
Alpine will switch to a customer engine deal with Mercedes next season, and Briatore is confident of an improvement in performance.Briatore added: “In 2026, there will be no excuses: we must be competitive. We owe it to Renault, to Alpine… we are in this sport to win, and with the new regulations coming into effect in 2026, the teams that interpret them best will have an advantage.”In 2026, we can win races, I guarantee it, and in 2027, we want to be title contenders.
Flavio Briatore
Alpine has only won one Grand Prix since Renault’s return as a full manufacturer, thanks to Esteban Ocon at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, and has found itself off the pace under the current rules.
The upcoming season will introduce a radical change in regulations regarding both aerodynamics and engines.
Although it’s always unknown which team and engine manufacturer will emerge with the best package, it is known that Mercedes is very confident in the current state of its 2026 project. Briatore stated that the change from Renault-made machinery has given Alpine an instant improvement.
Briatore also commented:
The easiest way to win is to sign Max Verstappen, but we can’t. So we have to work with what we have. Choosing to switch to Mercedes power was a very difficult decision, but in this sport, to win, you need to have the same tools as the others. For a million reasons rooted in the past, we were at a disadvantage in that area.
Flavio Briatore
