Flavio Briatore beams after Alpine’s double podium in Brazil: “Our drivers were exceptional”. Flavio Briatore commented on Alpine's performance in Sao Paulo GP.

Among the many unexpected events in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the double podium achieved by a transformed Alpine following Flavio Briatore’s arrival must certainly be mentioned. The Italian entrepreneur, after returning to the circus, decided to reorganize the French team, and the results are slowly becoming evident.

The former Renault team boss explained this himself after the Interlagos race, which saw Alpine finish in second and third place. “We had a bit of luck. Ocon was exceptional in the wet, and Gasly did his job,” said the Italian entrepreneur. “Our car performs much better in the wet than in the dry. Unfortunately, I don’t believe we will have rain in the upcoming races.”

“When you’re competitive, it’s easier to take risks. We did that here because we believed in the red flag, and that’s why we stayed out. The drivers then did a superb job,” Flavio Briatore added.

Regarding why Alpine has managed to close the gap with its rivals, Flavio Briatore has no doubts. “In the wet, the power of the engine becomes less relevant. In 2025, we need to try to overcome the gap we have on the power unit by working well with the tires and aerodynamics.”

“We have cleaned house”
Flavio Briatore then explained the choices made since his return to Formula 1. “This year, we’ve done a bit of cleaning up, and we are still doing it. We need to get back to having people working for a racing team and not for a corporate entity,” he explained.

“We’ve set things straight, as it used to be in Renault. Everyone who remains is solely focused on the team. When I arrived, there were about twelve hundred people; now we are eight hundred fifty,” the Italian entrepreneur added.

Since his arrival, Alpine has also changed its approach to updates. “We introduced just one step to avoid impacting the 2025 project too much. I only authorized this. It went well because it allowed us to make a step forward, and that’s not always the case. Well done to the engineers and everyone,” Flavio Briatore concluded at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.