The new advisor to the French team, Flavio Briatore, has returned to Formula 1 to revive the team he led to success in the early 2000s. Since those glory years, the Anglo-French team has experienced dark times, culminating in near-total obscurity in recent seasons. In 2024, things changed with Flavio Briatore’s arrival, initiating a revolution at Alpine and setting the primary goal for 2025 with the A525.
For years, the French team has sought a connection with F1’s top teams. The first step came at the end of the 2024 season when the team announced a partnership with Mercedes for Power Units starting in 2026—a significant step toward building a winning car.
Before Flavio Briatore’s return to the former Renault team, Enstone was floundering in the darkness and lingering at the back of the grid. This was unacceptable, particularly when considering McLaren and Aston Martin’s achievements in 2023. However, the Italian advisor remained undeterred. In an interview with *Le Parisien*, Flavio Briatore outlined the team’s goals for the near future.
“Today, our objectives are clear: we want to improve consistently. In 2024, we finished sixth in the championship. This is obviously fantastic because it earns us far more than finishing ninth. But next year, we must aim for fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Aston Martin, and in 2026, we must target podiums and victories. Then, in 2027, we aim for the title.”
With the 2025 season shaping up to be highly competitive, Flavio Briatore also discussed the A525 project. The new car, driven by Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan (whose seat is not guaranteed), will be critical in securing fifth place.
“At the moment, things are moving in the right direction. We have managed to correct our mistakes from 2024, and we have also largely completed development for the 2025 car. The new car is about half a second faster per lap than last year’s model. We also have a separate team entirely focused on developing the 2026 car, especially considering the new regulations on the horizon. Within the team, everyone is finally beginning to believe in the project and that we can seriously compete in the championship in three years.”
These figures, however, lack context to provide a clear indicator of improvement. If this half-second gain is in qualifying conditions, the step forward might not seem significant. However, it takes on greater importance in race pace with a fuel load. With time ticking down, the moment to discover the true progress is fast approaching.
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