Flavio Briatore’s presence in the Formula 1 paddock may split opinion – but the Italian knows how to win and now he insists Alpine has “no excuses” to not target victories in 2026 and titles following season.

The controversial 75-year-old is an executive advisor to Alpine, but has taken on more responsibilities since Oliver Oakes left his role as team principal earlier this month.

It has been a tough start to 2025 for Alpine, which has scored just seven points so far and took the decision to drop Jack Doohan in favour of Franco Colapinto after the Miami Grand Prix.

Now though, Briatore wants to see Alpine challenging at the front of the field when 2026 and its sweeping rule changes arrive.

“In 2026, we can win races, I guarantee it, and in 2027, we want to be title contenders,” he told Le Monde.

“In 2026, there will be no excuses: we must be competitive. We owe it to Renault [parent company], to Alpine…we’re in this sport to win, and with the new regulations coming in 2026, the teams that interpret them best will have the edge.”

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Briatore is pinning a large part of his hopes on Alpine’s switch to Mercedes power next year, after Renault announced it will leave F1 at the end of 2025.

“The easiest way to win is to sign Max Verstappen, but we can’t. So we have to work with what we’ve got,” he added.

“Choosing to switch to Mercedes power was a very difficult decision, but in this sport, to win, you need to have the same tools as the others. For a million reasons rooted in the past, we were at a disadvantage in that area.”

Having previously worked for the Enstone-based squad, Briatore guided the team to three constructors' titles working with the likes of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso - but he was then banned from F1 for life in the wake of the 2009 ‘Crashgate’ scandal.

That decision was overturned in the French courts and, while his title remains the same, he has now all-but replaced Oakes - even if he currently cannot be appointed as team boss.

“Oli was handling all operational matters, but he’s no longer with us. I’m now 100% committed and surrounded by a very strong team across all departments — technical, commercial, and management,” Briatore explained.

“It’s more work, sure, but that’s not a problem. I’ve got plenty of time. As for the team principal licence, it’s a detail — I could get it tomorrow if I wanted.

“Everyone thought there was a rift between Oli and me. But when I have an issue with someone, everyone knows — I speak up and act immediately. If I say there’s no problem, it’s because there isn’t one.”