Apr.13 (GMM) Flavio Briatore admits he is looking forward to waving goodbye to Renault’s works engines at the end of the season.
Having previously overseen title-winning periods at the Enstone based team with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, the 75-year-old is back at the team – now known as Alpine – as a powerful advisor to Renault CEO Luca de Meo.
One of his first moves was to recommend the end of works engine operations, opting instead to run customer Mercedes engines and gearboxes from 2026.
Speaking in Bahrain on his birthday, the flamboyant Italian’s present was an unexpected P5 qualifying result from Pierre Gasly – which should result in the team finally opening its championship points account in 2025.
“Without the engine deficit, we’d be on the front row,” Briatore is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.
“Depending on the track, we lose three to four tenths of a second just through the powertrain,” he added.
After a dismal 2024, Alpine’s car looked significantly better in winter testing – but then disappointed in Melbourne, Shanghai and Suzuka.
Briatore explains: “We weren’t as bad as we looked. Our problem was that we never got the most out of the softest tire compound.”
Another issue, he said, was that engineers were constantly experimenting with ways to compensate for the engine deficit.
“The experiments didn’t work,” Briatore revealed. “That’s why I told the team before the weekend – ‘no more experiments. We’ll drive like we did in the test’.”
Another big issue on Briatore’s desk at present is Jack Doohan, amid swirling rumours that the Australian will soon be replaced by Franco Colapinto.
While Gasly shone in Bahrain qualifying, Briatore said Doohan – P11 – is struggling to put together perfect sectors throughout a qualifying lap.
“He still needs to work on that,” Briatore said. “Jack is fast, but not yet consistent.”
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