'Miracle worker' Briatore tipped to turn Alpine around

Flavio Briatore has been tipped to turn Alpine back into F1 contenders, having been dubbed a 'miracle worker'. 

Briatore, who was banned from F1 for his role in the 2008 crash-gate controversy, was brought back to the Enstone team in mid-2024 by Renault boss Luca de Meo. 

Briatore is serving as an executive advisor and working with new team principal Ollie Oakes, with the team enjoying a resurgence late in the season to rally and finish sixth in the standings having had a dismal start to the season. 

Luca di Montezemelo, a contemporary of Briatore when he was running Benetton in the 1990s and then Renault in the 2000s, believes his fellow Italian is exactly the right person to turn the team around.

"Flavio was a rich gentleman, but no one should forget that Flavio did miracles with Benetton," he told Gazetta dello Sport. 

"Luca De Meo made the right choice to take him at Alpine, I am happy for him, even if the road to victory is long.

"I have seen some good races of [Pierre] Gasly, but it is not enough. I think, however, that for next year they will improve."

Gasly is joined at the team by rookie driver Jack Doohan for 2024, with the Australian replacing Esteban Ocon, who decided to join Haas.