Briatore: Not even Verstappen can fix Alpine's deficit

Flavio Briatore has made it clear that Alpine's problems run far deeper than its driver lineup. The team's advisor insists not even Max Verstappen could erase the current performance gap, saying the focus must shift entirely to car development and operations before any 2027 driver decisions are made.

Why it matters:

Briatore's comments push back against the grid's obsession with driver moves. Alpine runs the same Mercedes power unit as McLaren yet trails by six to seven tenths in recent qualifying sessions, exposing clear chassis and aerodynamic shortcomings. A superstar in the cockpit cannot paper over engineering gaps that large.

The details:

• Alpine sits fifth in the Constructors' Championship after five races, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto scoring 35 points combined.
• The team's fastest qualifier has trailed McLaren by roughly six to seven tenths at recent events including Miami and Canada.
• Briatore estimates even an elite driver like Verstappen could only extract two to three tenths more, far short of closing the deficit.
• Gasly is contracted through 2028, while Colapinto's seat for next season remains undecided.
• Briatore is redirecting financial resources toward aerodynamic upgrades and pit stop performance rather than driver recruitment.

What's next:

The driver conversation is on hold. Briatore says Alpine must first narrow the qualifying gap and sharpen race operations through engineering gains. Only when the car is competitive will he decide whether Colapinto stays alongside Gasly, keeping the priority firmly on the machinery rather than the cockpit.