Flavio Briatore insists he’s not the “bad guy” when it comes to Alpine’s decision to shift its engine strategy and become a customer team in F1, a plan put together by Renault’s upper management and not by himself, although he supports the move.
The F1 team’s anticipated dramatic shift – confirmed last month by former team principal Bruno Famin – is part of a broader review of Alpine's strategy under the guidance of Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo.
The plan to partner Alpine with Mercedes from 2026 would mark a significant departure from Renault's long-standing involvement in F1, which began in 1977.
It has also sparked significant controversy within the company. Employees at the Viry-Châtillon factory, where Renault's engines are developed, have expressed their opposition to the move, arguing that it would betray the company's legacy and undermine the expertise of the Viry team.
Renault's involvement in F1 has been a source of pride for the company for decades. The French manufacturer has achieved numerous successes in the sport, including two constructors' championships and ten drivers' championships.
However, in recent years, the French manufacturer’s power unit has struggled to compete at the highest level, and the potential decision to end its engine program is seen by many as a sign of the company's diminishing ambitions in F1.
Amidst the outcry, Briatore has made it clear that while he is heavily involved in making necessary changes at Alpine to improve its competitiveness, the decision to potentially end Renault’s engine program was not his doing.
“No, I am not the bad guy all the time….everything else you [can] blame me. Not this one,” he said, quoted by Motorsport.com.
“The problem is the evidence. Regarding the engine, it was decided already from the management, and for me it is fine.
“Whatever our chairman decides, fine. This was decided already, soon before I arrived in the team.”
Briatore has been tasked by Luca de Meo with turning around Alpine's fortunes. The flamboyant Italian’s initial takeaway since taking stock of the F1 team’s state of affairs is that the Enstone squad has been hindered by excessive bureaucracy and a lack of clear direction.
But he admitted that so far, he has not seen a clear case for trimming Alpine’s workforce.
“I don't know. At Enstone I don't know if we have too many people or not. Let me check,” he said.
“We don't want to cut any jobs. We want to just have an efficiency. The people who want to stay with us, they are welcome to stay. But we need everybody in the same line.
“We want to have people with the experience, the people working together as an F1 team. After that, we don't want to fire anybody.”
Briatore has also dismissed any suggestion that the changes being made at Enstone, including the team’s switch to a customer engine outfit, are about preparing the F1 squad to be sold.
“No, there is nothing for sale,” he insisted. “Everything, we buy. If we had the opportunity, we [would] buy another one [team] and I put a managing director in.
“Something is very clear. Luca de Meo never wants to sell the team. Question finito.”
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