Alpine special adviser Flavio Briatore sets his sights on McLaren and Ferrari

The Alpine team is performing significantly better this year than it did last season, when the Enstone-based team finished bottom of the table. The team led by Formula 1 veteran Flavio Briatore currently sits sixth in the team standings after the first eleven rounds of the World Championship.

The gap to the seventh-placed Haas team is substantial, with 40 points separating Alpine’s closest rival from the Renault-backed team. Fifth place, however, is within reach; Briatore’s team are just five championship points short of drawing level with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team.

This is due in no small part to the powerful Mercedes power unit that has been rumbling away in the rear of the Alpine cars since the start of the season. Briatore is well aware of this and is not content to settle for a mid-table battle. Speaking to *The Race*, the Italian said: “We have all the ingredients to secure victories. And the agreement with Mercedes is brilliant; we’ve chosen the right partner.”

Flavio Briatore wants to take on Ferrari and McLaren

The team is also investing in its own factory, the 76-year-old emphasises, explaining: “Everything is in place; we just need to get it all put together properly now. And for that to succeed, we need to be a bit more creative. We also need to take more risks than we do at the moment. But I’m sure this team can do it. I don’t know why we aren’t winning. I don’t know why we aren’t beating McLaren. And I don’t know why we can’t outdo Ferrari either. We’ve managed to do that in the past. And in the end, it’s all about believing in what you’re doing.”

For Briatore, one thing is certain: the right attitude is the key to success. “I don’t know what the other teams have; I can’t see it. Perhaps someone has better facilities. But there’s also the example of Aston Martin. That team has the best facilities in the world and the best chief designer you could ask for. Yet they’re not competitive. That’s why I’m convinced it’s simply a matter of believing in the possibility of victory and working towards that goal with total commitment.”

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