Franco Colapinto believes Flavio Briatore’s relentless and demanding mentality is exactly what Alpine needs to continue climbing the Formula 1 order. The Argentine has described the Italian as a “competitive animal”, revealing that even one of Alpine’s strongest results of the 2026 season was not enough to satisfy the man effectively leading the Enstone team.
Alpine has made clear progress compared with a difficult 2025 campaign. At the 2026 summer break, the team sits sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with 61 points, with Pierre Gasly contributing 42 and Franco Colapinto another 19. Yet Briatore has no intention of allowing that improvement to become an excuse for complacency.
Franco Colapinto backs Flavio Briatore’s Alpine mentality
Flavio Briatore returned to Formula 1 to help steer Alpine back towards the front of the championship, and the first half of 2026 has provided evidence of progress. However, the 76-year-old’s ambitions extend considerably further than simply leading the midfield.
Franco Colapinto, who is currently 12th in the Formula 1 Drivers’ standings, believes that uncompromising mindset is precisely what Alpine requires if it is eventually to challenge Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
“I believe in his process. You have to understand him. I think that to succeed in F1, you need someone like Flavio,” Franco Colapinto told Motorsport.com.
The Argentine knows better than most how demanding Flavio Briatore can be. Alpine initially turned to Colapinto after Jack Doohan struggled during 2025, and the former Williams driver is now completing his first full Formula 1 season with the team.
Briatore was unhappy despite Alpine’s strong Canadian GP result
Franco Colapinto pointed to the Canadian Grand Prix as perhaps the clearest example of Briatore’s mentality. Alpine achieved its best result of the season up to that point in Montréal, bringing both cars home in the points with sixth and eighth places.
For most midfield teams, such an outcome would have been cause for considerable satisfaction. Briatore saw things differently.
“We finished sixth and eighth in Canada, which were amazing points for the team. But after the race, Flavio wasn’t happy at all and kept putting pressure on the team. He was almost the most unhappy person in the whole team.”
The reason was not simply the result itself. Briatore was looking at Alpine’s performance relative to its direct rivals and wanted explanations for why the team had lost ground in certain areas despite scoring heavily.
“Everyone was happy, but he was saying: ‘No, no, I want more. I don’t like where we are and Racing Bulls is too close to us as well. I want answers and I want to improve even more.’”
‘Flavio is a competitive animal’
For Franco Colapinto, that constant pressure is not a negative characteristic. Instead, he views it as part of the mentality required to transform Alpine from a midfield operation into a team capable of competing at the front.
“Putting that pressure on the team, even when things are going well, is his way of leading it. Flavio is a competitive animal. He came back to Formula 1 only to win and I really appreciate that because I’m the same.”
Alpine’s progress is clear in the championship table. The team has accumulated 61 points during the first 11 Grands Prix and four Sprints, although Racing Bulls remains directly ahead in fifth place. That proximity helps explain why Briatore is unwilling to treat sixth as a satisfactory final destination.
The competitive midfield battle also places greater importance on Alpine’s development work after the summer break, when several teams are expected to introduce further updates and attempt to establish themselves behind the leading quartet.
Colapinto sees clear progress at Alpine in 2026
Franco Colapinto is nevertheless encouraged by the direction the Enstone operation has taken. He believes the changes happening both on and off the circuit demonstrate that Alpine is building momentum, even if nobody within the team is prepared to settle for its current position.
“I’m very proud of the progress we’ve made, but we’re all very competitive and we’re not satisfied. A lot of positive things are happening right now. New partnerships and many other initiatives around us.”
Among those developments is Alpine’s agreement with Gucci, which Franco Colapinto highlighted as another important sign of the team’s growing ambitions.
“The deal with Gucci is one of them, and it’s very important. So yes, I think it shows that the direction we’re taking now is the right one.”
For Colapinto, the combination of improved results, new partnerships and Briatore’s demanding management style gives Alpine reasons for optimism. The next challenge is turning that momentum into another performance step when the championship resumes after the summer break.
Briatore’s reaction to Canada offers a clear indication of the standards Alpine is now setting for itself: good results are welcome, but simply being competitive in the midfield is no longer enough.
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