“The easiest way to win is to sign Max Verstappen”: Flavio Briatore comments on Alpine’s world championship ambitions

Alpine F1 team boss Flavio Briatore has detailed that signing Max Verstappen is the most straightforward part of achieving championship wins. The 75-year-old explained that signing the Dutch driver would instantly provide his team with the success they desire.

The Italian businessman, who currently serves as executive adviser and de facto team principal of the Alpine outfit, recently touched on several related issues ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The motorsports executive also discussed the possibility of his team winning races and the world championship.

Sharing his thoughts in an interview with Motorsport.com, Briatore stated:

“We can win races in 2026, I guarantee it! And in 2027 we want to compete for the world title. The switch to Mercedes power was a very difficult decision, but to win in this sport you need to have the same tools as everyone else. For a million reasons rooted in the past, we were behind in that respect.”

“In 2026, we have no more excuses; we have to be competitive. We owe it to Renault, Alpine, and Luca de Meo, who took full responsibility with such a brave decision. We are here to win, and with the new regulations for 2026, the teams that interpret them best will have an advantage,” he added.

When asked whether winning a title within that timeframe is realistic, Briatore admitted that landing Max Verstappen would make that goal more achievable.

“The easiest way to win is to sign Max Verstappen, but we can't do that. So we have to make do with what we have,” he mentioned.

The Alpine team has recently been involved in a flurry of driver changes, most notably with Franco Colapinto replacing Jack Doohan following the Miami Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, for his part, is currently linked with a possible exit from Red Bull amid concerns over the team’s competitiveness in comparison to rivals McLaren.

While Alpine is not currently linked with Verstappen, the sweeping changes coming to Formula 1 in 2026 could make them a more attractive destination, especially if the Dutch driver seeks a fresh challenge beyond Red Bull Racing.

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Max Verstappen speaks about his Formula 1 future

Max Verstappen offered insight about his Formula 1 future during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old continues to be linked with a move away from the Red Bull outfit, especially in light of the recent dominance by the McLaren team.

The four-time world champion has seen Red Bull’s stranglehold on the sport begin to loosen, with the Milton Keynes-based outfit frequently trailing McLaren and, on occasion, both the Mercedes and Scuderia Ferrari teams. This recent flurry of inconsistent results has fueled widespread speculation about his possible departure.

However, sharing his thoughts on what could become of his future, Max Verstappen downplayed the possibility of an exit from his current team. Speaking to the media via Sky Sports F1, he stated:

"A lot of people are talking about it, except me. I just want to focus on my car, work with the people in the team. That's the only thing that I'm thinking about in F1 at the moment. I'm very relaxed."

Max Verstappen is currently linked with several teams, including Aston Martin, which recently acquired the services of chief designer Adrian Newey, as well as forming a partnership with Honda, the engine supplier behind all the Dutch driver's four championships so far. Whether Verstappen will leave the Red Bull team ahead of the 2026 season remains to be seen.