Falvio Briatore’s bold proposal to overhaul budget cap regulations. Flavio Briatore, executive advisor at Alpine, has commented on the cost cap rule.

After years away from F1, Flavio Briatore has returned to the top tier of motorsport as Alpine’s executive advisor. In the past, Briatore served as managing director of the Benetton team and later of Renault. In 2024, Alpine decided to appoint the Italian businessman as executive advisor to help the team become competitive again. F1 is evolving, and for this reason, according to Flavio Briatore, changes should also be made to the cost cap.

In 2021, Formula 1 introduced a new rule: the cost cap (or budget cap). For five seasons, each team has been required to adhere to a maximum spending limit.

What does it include?
The budget cap includes all types of development, team salaries, and any necessary equipment. Teams must also factor in transportation costs for traveling between countries.

What is excluded from the cost cap?
The cost cap does not include the salaries of the three highest-paid employees and the drivers’ salaries. This is precisely the point where Flavio Briatore believes F1 should intervene. On this topic, the Alpine executive advisor stated: “Formula 1 is definitely different now. Having the cost cap for the teams was a great idea. I think it should stay. But I also believe drivers’ salaries should be included in it.”

Flavio Briatore sees the differences compared to the past as mostly related to costs rather than what happens on track: “What I see is the difference between my time at Renault and now — the cost has really increased drastically. The races are the same. What you see on TV is the same. The battles between drivers are the same. The best driver wins the race, etc.” He added: “What we see now is the cost. The cost has gone up drastically. But just because the cost has increased doesn’t mean the business or the show is better. It’s the same. The race, to me, is the same. It’s very competitive. We have great drivers. But the costs are going up drastically.”

The proposal
Some drivers in the paddock earn nearly half the total budget cap allowed for teams. According to Flavio Briatore, by slightly increasing the cap, Formula 1 should require teams to include drivers’ salaries within the overall budget: “The cost cap was a great idea. I think we should increase the cap to include drivers’ salaries.”