General
Finally Alpine shows serious ambition, courtesy of Flavio Briatore
- Ludo van Denderen
With the recruitment of Franco Colapinto, Alpine is showing ambition. It is clear from this move initiated by adviser Flavio Briatore that the Italian is committed to getting the French team back on a winning course.
When Flavio Briatore was the successful team boss of Benetton in the 1994 season, it was never certain which driver would get to drive alongside Michael Schumacher. At the time, what Briatore saw was the disappointing performance from JJ Letho. He then gave the chance to reserve driver Jos Verstappen.
Later, the Dutchman - despite two podium finishes - was also sidelined without mercy in favour of Johnny Herbert, who had already replaced Schumacher, when he had been suspended for two races. It may have seemed like chaos at Benetton to the outside observer, but this was Briatore all over the place. Those who did not perform had to make way. This approach not only kept everyone on their toes, it also maximised results.
Briatore keeps the pressure on Alpine drivers
More than 30 years later, Briatore - attached to the Alpine F1 team for six months as advisor to Renault CEO Luca di Meo - seems to have exactly the same approach. Naturally, Alpine will start the 2025 season with Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan, as previously announced, as drivers. But should Doohan, in particular, fail to live up to Briatore's expectations, Franco Colapinto will be waiting in the wings to relieve the Australian.
No doubt at a nice compensation - a €20 million buyout mentioned in some media is incorrect - for Williams, Briatore has secured the services of a proven talent, who is of enormous value to Alpine in more ways than one. Just think of the many sponsors from Argentina he could potentially bring with him. Or to the large fan base, which will buy Alpine merchandise en masse. Alpine's social media channels have recently welcomed hundreds of thousands of new followers.
All in all, even before one metre has been driven, the pressure is on Doohan. It is now up to him to show that he knows how to deal with it. If he cannot, he is not fit for Formula 1 - at least, that is how Briatore seems to think. And as mentioned, a replacement is already in place. This way, Briatore creates a top-class sporting climate in a team where non-committalism prevailed for years.
Briatore a guarantee of success
Consider Renault's engine division, which, for many years, had failed to produce a power unit for F1 that could compete with the best in the sport. It made Briatore decide to say goodbye to its own engines and seek refuge with Mercedes. He did it with one thought: Alpine needed to get back on top, fighting with Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari for Grands Prix victories.
Step by step, Briatore continued to build. And those who have followed him throughout his long career know: in the end, the Italian always succeeds. Retrospectively, Di Meo's move to bring Briatore back from retirement was a masterstroke, as the former team boss really seems to have been the missing link at the Frenchman.
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