Flavio Briatore insists Alpine is not going to take “monster high-profile” technical figures because the staff continues its rebuild in F1.
Briatore returned to F1 as govt advisor to then-Renault boss Luca de Meo in 2024 after a interval of upheaval for the staff, together with the departures of CEO Laurent Rossi, staff principals Otmar Szafnauer and Bruno Famin, sporting director Alan Permane, and technical director Matt Harman, amongst others, throughout 2023 and Briatore’s arrival.
After the resignation of Oliver Oakes for private causes in 2025, Briatore turned de facto staff principal, together with his former Benetton lieutenant Steve Nielsen now the managing director of day-to-day operations at Enstone.
He has been joined by the likes of former Ferrari and McLaren chief David Sanchez (govt technical director) and former FIA determine Jason Sommerville as Sanchez’s deputy, with Kimi Raikkonen’s former Ferrari race engineer Dave Greenwood serving as racing director.
For 2026, the staff took the choice to vary from utilizing works Renault engines to a buyer Mercedes provide, which has yielded a robust upturn in outcomes, with the staff sitting sixth within the constructors’ standings in the summertime break, 5 factors behind Racing Bulls in fifth.
Crew chief Pierre Gasly scored Alpine’s first podium in a dry race since 2023 in Monaco with third place, while Franco Colapinto has additionally contributed, with six top-10 outcomes, together with a career-best sixth in Canada.
Because the new-look management group continues to gel, Briatore is adamant that his staff is not going to signal a “monster high-profile” technical lead – as a substitute pointing to Enstone’s historical past of making such figures.
“For us, it is a query of consolidating the technical aspect as a result of now now we have the engine, and now we have to enhance our expertise high quality within the staff,” Briatore advised choose, invited media, together with RacingNews365.
“After I arrived at Alpine, the scenario was fairly unhealthy; we had been shedding lots of people, and there have been too many modifications, with administration altering yearly, this and that, however no consistency in any respect.
“Little by little, you could construct once more the sturdy technical aspect and powerful consistency time and again to enhance. We want huge enhancements within the technical aspect, however we additionally want to enhance all the things; it’s not just one space you could enhance. It is advisable enhance all the things if you wish to win.
“We aren’t there but. We have to work, particularly to reorganise the platform now we have, and that takes time. We want any person with expertise. We’re searching, however it’s not simple.
“Greater than somebody high-profile, we want an excellent one, as a result of lots of profile is not any good in any respect. Method 1 creates the monster, and after a while, the monster is working or not. All people is aware of Aston Martin has one of the best technical profile on the planet.
“Lawrence Stroll has carried out an unimaginable job in constructing the manufacturing unit and this and that, however the outcomes usually are not the identical, so we’ll by no means take a monster high-profile [technical figure] in my staff.
“We created monster high-profiles in Ross Brawn, in Bob Bell, in Pat Symonds, and in James Allison.
“We discovered a method; we had been working with younger folks, working with the construction. What we’re on the lookout for shouldn’t be high-profile; it’s a group of individuals working collectively and delivering the outcomes.
“You want a little bit little bit of time; a little bit little bit of time shouldn’t be 10 years, it’s two or three years. It’s the identical as after I arrived at Benetton for the primary time, and the identical as what we did with Renault.
“After I arrived, there have been 1,300 folks within the staff, and now we’re 900 as a result of I had 400 individuals who had nothing to do with us. So whenever you speak in regards to the enterprise construction of the corporate, you may have a course of.
“It is rather painful to start with, however now we see the place we’re going.”
