Bruno Famin: “Flavio Briatore will bring his experience and fighting spirit to Alpine”
Freshly appointed Executive Advisor to Alpine, Flavio Briatore will advise the Group's CEO, as well as the team and Bruno Famin, who has every confidence in the Italian.
Alpine has just announced this Friday the appointment of Flavio Briatore as an executive advisor, a decision that is generating mixed reactions in the paddock, as the Italian has previously been banned from F1 following the Crashgate scandal. Bruno Famin, team principal, explained the reasons behind this choice during the team bosses’ press conference on Friday, highlighting Briatore’s experience and skills. « Flavio will definitely bring his experience. He has 40 years of experience in Formula 1. He knows how to lead a winning team. He has a very good track record and a significant number of world titles. He will bring this experience and fighting spirit to the team », the Frenchman stated.
Flavio Briatore will act as an advisor to the group’s CEO and the team. Bruno Famin specified that Briatore and himself will work closely together: « We will work together, of course. He is the advisor to the group’s CEO, but he will also advise the team, and we will work and discuss together constantly, that’s for sure. »
But the appointment of Briatore, initially banned for life from Formula 1, raised questions. When asked about his comfort with this decision, Famin responded by focusing on the future: « I have already answered questions about the past and it doesn’t bother me. I always look towards the future and try to see what we can do to improve our team. »
Toto Wolff, director of the Mercedes team, supported this approach, emphasizing the importance of giving a second chance: « I think we have to give the chance to recover from these situations. I knew Flavio as an extremely intelligent businessman. He has a lot of expertise in Formula 1. »
Frédéric Vasseur and Alessandro Alunni Bravi also expressed similar views, acknowledging Briatore’s experience and expertise. Vasseur added: « It’s probably, as Bruno said, a step forward for Alpine. And it’s good for F1 in the end if Alpine gets back into the fight. »
Progress in Viry-Châtillon
Regarding the progress of the power unit project for 2026, Famin was optimistic: “I am quite happy with what is being done in Viry. We are working well. We have very high-level goals, I think, and for now, we are optimistic about our ability to reach them. People have been very focused on this goal for several months. And we are all pushing to achieve it.”
However, he clarified his position on the rumors of seeking a new power unit: « First, I am not optimistic. I just say that we are on track to achieve our goals. We know that we will have problems, which is quite normal with this type of very complex project. As for the rumors, we simply do not comment on rumors. »
Asked about the speculations regarding the purchase of an engine for 2026, Famin therefore preferred to stay focused on the team’s immediate goals. “We are really focused on developing the car’s performance and improving the team,” he said, while highlighting the role of David Sanchez, the new technical director, in these efforts.
