Flavio Briatore has made headlines once again with comments on the future of Fernando Alonso beyond his current contract with Aston Martin, and for detailing his own return to Alpine, after a rather “turbulent” call from Renault CEO Luca de Meo.
After leaving F1 following the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at the 2008 Singapore GP, Briatore made his return to the sport as an Alpine advisor.
At 42, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid, with 391 F1 race starts, and two world championships under his belt. Yet, as the 2026 season lies ahead, with plenty of new regulations, rumours around Alonso are circulating, with many wondering if he will remain in the sport, or shift gears towards retirement.
Briatore, who has been Alonso’s manager for over two decades, claims he is uncertain about the driver’s long-term plans.
“I don’t know [about his future],” Briatore admitted on the Formula For Success podcast.
“If you ask me if Fernando wants to continue after 2026, honestly, I don’t know.”
Alonso is currently contracted with Aston Martin until 2026, and his comeback to the sport in 2021 saw him secure eight podiums.
“If you ask me if Fernando wants to continue after we finish in the contract, our last year will be 2026 for the moment.”
“The performance is there. You see the performance of Fernando, it’s there. It’s not a question of him losing concentration, during the race he’s always there.
“For sure, he is somebody unique. I’ve never seen somebody like that, so determined every day, every day, every day. Never give up. Unbelievable.”
However, Briatore has noted that Alonso’s decision to remain in or leave the sport, will be down to more than just performance, “It depends on the feeling he has about racing and the timing.”
But for now, the Spanish driver remains: “super fit, maybe more fit now than when he was driving for me. He’s living in Monaco, doing a bicycle ride every day, and never cheats with his diet,” Briatore said, impressed by Alonso’s dedication.
While Alonso’s future is up in the air, Briatore has already committed to a new challenge – steering Alpine back onto the podium.
His return to the team, which he once led to two World Championships with Alonso at the wheel, was propelled by a ‘desperate’ phone call from Luca de Meo, who bluntly confessed that Alpine was “in the shit.”
“Formula 1 is a different business,” Briatore told de Meo. “You need somebody dedicated to the team. Not corporate, not bureaucracy—team spirit.”
Since Briatore’s return, there have already been significant changes, most notably the replacement of Bruno Famin with Oliver Oakes as team principal. Briatore, along with de Meo and Oakes, are not attempting to rebuild Alpine from the ground up.
And he’s made a bold promise: “Give me two years, in two years’ time we see the podium. 2027 we have a podium.”
