“Flavio doesn’t listen to BS”: Guenther Steiner analyses Briatore’s methods at Alpine
With his uncompromising approach, Flavio Briatore looks set to give Alpine the boost it needs to get back to winning ways © Alpine F1 Team on Instagram
Flavio Briatore seems to be breathing new life into Alpine F1 since his return to the French team. His pragmatic approach is unanimously appreciated by those around him, not least Günther Steiner, manager of the Haas Formula 1 team until 2024, as he told GP Blog.
Now Alpine F1’s Executive Advisor, the Monegasque resident is causing a stir. The former Benetton and Renault advisor is back in a guiding role with the French team, and according to Günther Steiner, he is certainly making an impact: “Flavio goes through with a very practical approach, not listening to bull****.”
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The message is clear, and almost a mantra for a man who focuses on what is essential rather than wasting time on words: “It’s just his practical approach. The biggest job he needs to do, he’s doing. He’s cleaning up. That’s his biggest job because he doesn’t care if he has to clean. For him, it’s like, okay, I’m doing a job. I’m not being Mr Nice Guy. I’m not being Mr Nasty Guy. I’m doing a job.”
Alpine needed to put its house in order
Alpine has been struggling for years. A lack of leadership and frequent changes rattled the team, as Steiner points out: “Whatever turmoil they had, the team just had no vision any more. No guidance, nothing. They are just a lot of people doing some work.” But Briatore’s arrival represents a turning point. “Flavio goes in there and looks around and says, ‘What are all these people actually doing?’ Well, half of them are doing nothing because it was never defined.”
Clear, sharp, precise vision
Far from endless bickering and meetings, Briatore seems to have a very clear vision of what he needs to achieve. “He’s sorting out what is there and building on it. All the other ones came in, built up and there was a mass of people. There was no clear vision any more there.” The former Renault boss seems to be the right man to get the team back on track.
The Briatore method: results first and foremost
His method is simple, and takes no prisoners: “If you’re good, you stay there. If you’re not good, you go.” This is reflected in the way he manages the drivers. Briatore took Franco Colapinto under his wing, a driver that was often passed over by others: “Everyone spoke about Colapinto. The only one that picked him up was Flavio. Let’s do it, he said. Okay, I get this guy. I don’t know what I’m going to do with him, but I take him.” As Steiner points out, Briatore’s strength lies in his ability to make quick and effective decisions: “He’s got the respect from the people [from Alpine] to do what he needs to do.”
How Briatore himself sees things
As for Flavio Briatore, he is cautiously optimistic about his team’s future. After a difficult 2024, Alpine is planning a strategic reorganisation for 2025 and is aiming for the podium in 2027. His comments, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, reveal the French group’s bold ambitions, bolstered by the return of Italian energy and fuel partner, Eni, after a 25-year absence.
“We understood what wasn’t working in the team,” said Flavio Briatore, explaining the transition after a chaotic start to the 2024 season. Returning as team advisor, the 74-year-old Italian quickly took the reins to turn things around. “Now that we have everything in order, we can work on improving,” he added, stressing the progress that has already been made.
Clear ambitions up to 2027
In 2025, Alpine intends to remain in the top 6 in the championship, with perhaps a few podium finishes. “We have much more aerodynamic margin than McLaren and Ferrari,” says Briatore. 2026’s more ambitious goal is to feature regularly on the podium, for half of the Grands Prix. But the real target is 2027. Alpine is setting its sights on “fighting for the title.”
Gerhard Berger, a former Alpine driver who is close to Briatore, supports the dynamic. In his opinion, Flavio Briatore is “exactly the right man” for the team at this stage of its development. “Flavio only needed six months. And I think things are going to get even better.” A radical change will be the switch to Mercedes engines in 2026, a choice Berger described as “probably the right decision.”
A little more patience in 2025
However, Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has tempered expectations for 2025. Although the team is aiming to close in on the leading group, “there’ s no magic,” he says. The groundwork is being laid for a more competitive car, but fans will have to wait to see any significant progress. “It’s all about 2026,” says Oakes, a season that will be pivotal for Alpine’s future ambitions.