Flavio Briatore admits Alpine F1 situation is 'torture' - 'We have no chance'

Flavio Briatore has described Alpine's current plight as 'torture', claiming that the team has 'no chance' at most race weekends. The Enstone-based squad are currently 40 points adrift at the bottom of the Constructors' Championship standings with four rounds of the 2025 campaign remaining.

Briatore returned to the F1 paddock in early 2024 and became the de facto team boss in May of this year after Oliver Oakes stepped down from his position. Unfortunately for Team Enstone, his latest tenure has produced just three point-scoring finishes.

"We are here for winning," he told The Race ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix. "We are not to be a tourist, to go around the world. It's very hard, this situation for us. I'm not used to it. I was used to it 20 years ago, but now every Sunday is torture. You have no chance.

"You arrive in places and you see the mechanics put the garage together, working very hard. Then you watch all these people doing the best effort as possible, and you don't have the possibility to enjoy the race, to go back home with the points. It's very frustrating. I hope next year we pay everything back double!"

Alpine have been bullish about their chances in 2026. Pierre Gasly, who signed a new long-term contract extension earlier this season, has set his sights on fighting for the World Championship in 2027. With much-anticipated Mercedes power units in the car moving forward, the hype is understandable.

In fact, Briatore's squad have been pouring their resources into the new technical regulations throughout the 2025 campaign. According to the 75-year-old, this is why the A525 is no longer competitive with Alpine's midfield rivals.

"We don't have the capacity to develop the 2025 car and a 2026 car," he explained. "That was our belief when we made the decision, but it was a bit of an underestimation because everybody has done a better job than us.

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"In the beginning, our car was P6/P5. After that, everybody improved the car a lot, and we are not where we expected. So that is why we took the risk to put all the effort into the 2026 car."

Briatore has already set some concrete goals for his team in 2026. The Italian executive aims to move from the back of the grid to the first three rows, giving Alpine a chance at regular podium appearances.

"I want us to be in the first six [on the grid]," he explained. "When you're sixth/seventh, you start the race, and you smell the podium already. When you are 14th/15th, forget it. My dream, if you want, is to be competitive, to be at this kind of level."