Alpine’s Executive Advisor: “Nothing from last year will remain this season. That’s why we’ve put development on hold for 2025”

“The change in 2026 is a dramatic one.” These are the words of someone who knows Formula 1 inside and out: Flavio Briatore, who has returned to an operational role in the sport since 2024 as Alpine’s Executive Advisor. On the sidelines of the French team’s car unveiling for the upcoming season in Barcelona, the former Benetton team principal highlighted the impact of the regulatory changes set to take effect in 2026: “Nothing from last year will remain this season. For this reason, we’ve put development on hold for 2025—a year in which, even if we improved, we’d be penalized by the engine regulations—and are focusing entirely on the next championship.” After several difficult seasons, there’s now a sense of confidence within the French team, as they’ve been able to prepare thoroughly for this regulatory revolution: “We had a perfect shakedown. We immediately covered 150 kilometers, despite the bad weather. We’re confident: every department head was able to do what they wanted; no one told me they needed more time. So either we have a competitive car, or we’re all out of here.” The bar is set high, as usual with Briatore at the helm.

The 2026 regulations will also bring major changes in terms of driving, with drivers facing several new challenges, including managing the electrical components of the Power Unit and active aerodynamics. Drivers will therefore not only have to be fast, but also patient and skilled at managing the various elements of the car that will be under their control, as Briatore himself confirms: “This year, the car will feel different to drive. Drivers will have to think a lot; the cars are complicated to handle. We need drivers who are fast but also smart—good at reading the situation. Pierre (Gasly, ed.) can do well in this regard. I think drivers like Alonso or Verstappen have an advantage in this situation. In general, drivers shouldn’t be too impulsive.”

Mercedes engines—  The changes to the regulations aren’t the only major development for Alpine. Starting next season, in fact, the French team will no longer use in-house engines but will instead run the Mercedes Power Unit, thus becoming a customer team. The decision to give up designing and developing its own engines was Briatore’s alone, as he himself confirmed: “The decision to switch to Mercedes engines was 100% mine. At first, De Meo (former CEO of the Renault Group, ed.) was skeptical, but then he changed his mind. I wouldn’t have returned to Formula 1 without the certainty of having an engine on par with the rest of the grid.” And regarding the quality of Mercedes’ engines—which have been the subject of much discussion in recent weeks—the Italian manager offered reassurance, expressing confidence: “We have an engine that is perhaps the best on the grid, and this allows us to start from a strong foundation. Having a competitive power unit alleviates a lot of the problems we had last season.”
A Look Back—  With the 2026 rule changes, Formula 1 is entering a new era. For Briatore, however, regardless of regulations and eras, the nature of F1 has remained the same: “It’s always a competition among the world’s best engineers, and it’s always satisfying to be a part of it. Perhaps one difference from the past concerns how things are run. Before, many people owned the teams or at least held stakes in them, whereas now there are managers. Before, it was a bit simpler and faster to make decisions; now the processes are more complicated.”