Alpine team principal Bruno Famin expects former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore to make an immediate impact on the Enstone-based outfits's performance.

Ahead of last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, Alpine announced another key change to its organisation, confirming Flavio Briatore as Executive Advisor.

Briatore's role will see him “predominantly focus on top level areas of the team”. His task will be to scout "top talents and providing insights on the driver market, challenging the existing project by assessing the current structure and advising on some strategic matters within the sport”.

In recent years, Briatore has been actively involved in Formula One as Fernando Alonso's manager. The Italian has frequently made appearances in the F1 paddock in attendance of the two-time world champion.

The Italian businessman started his career as a restaurant manager and insurance salesman in Italy. In 1990, he was promoted by Luciano Benetton to manage the Benetton Formula One racing team, which became Renault F1 in 2002.

From 2007 to 2011, he was part-owner and chairman of London's Queens Park Rangers. In September 2009, Briatore was forced to resign from the Renault F1 team due to his involvement in race fixing at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

After the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) conducted its own investigation, Briatore was banned indefinitely from any events sanctioned by the FIA, although this ban was later overturned by a French Tribunal de Grande Instance.

Speaking about Briatore's arrival, Alpine team boss Bruno Famin expects the Italian to make an immediate impact on the French outfit's performance. The Frenchman also praised David Sanchez, the former Ferrari and McLaren engineer, who has recently joined Alpine.

"There is a very clear goal to improve the competitiveness of the team as soon as possible and as fast as possible. And we are looking for strong support. We are very happy to have received, again, David Sanchez, technical director. Very good opportunity. We have been able to seize it very quickly.

"And same thing for Flavio, I think the target is to make the team better as soon as possible and counting on the knowledge, the network, the influence of Flavio with us, it's an asset and we are using all available assets and we will still look for new assets to make the team stronger.

"On our side, we are really focused on really developing the performance of the car and improving the team. That's why I'm happy to welcome Flavio on board.

"We have a lot to do. You know that our car this year is not at the level we wanted. We have got the support of David Sanchez as the technical director. He's doing a very good job in Enstone since a few weeks now. And we hope to be able to improve our car by the end of the year, to work on the 2025 car, and of course to look at the 2026 generation car and engine.

"And we are really focused on that. When we will have something to say, we will say it. But for the time being, we are really focused on making the plan for gaining performance faster and better thanks to our recent support."

Rivals' opinion

Rival teams do not think that Briatore's return would cause any harm to the sport despite the fact that the Italian was banned from Formula One.

Speaking of Briatore's return to the sport, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said that he knows the Italian well and he deserves a second opportunity to come back.

"I think we need to give the chance to recover from these situations. I have known Flavio as an extremely smart businessman. He has a lot of know-how in Formula 1. Every input that I got over the last 10-plus years that I've been in much more contact – and I have a friendly relationship with him – was in a way helpful.

"There is a lot of experience and expertise that, like Bruno said, 40 years of Formula 1 do. And I think everybody deserves the opportunity to come back. And for me, for sure, having another clever mind in Alpine, someone that is able to simplify things and apply common sense, is in any case, where Alpine is today, is a benefit," concluded Wolff.

Asked about the same topic, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur shared Wolff's opinion: "First, I don't want to make any comment on what's happened in another team. I have enough to do with mine.

"But overall, I think it's probably, as Bruno said, a step forward for Alpine. And it's good for F1 at the end if Alpine is coming back into the fight. We know the story and I think he paid the price of this and if now he's allowed to come back, he can come back."

Although Kick Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi does not know Briatore personally, he acknowledges the Italian's results in Formula One.

"I agree, of course, with what Toto and Fred said. I never judge anyone if I don't know him personally and I didn't experience a relationship with him, so I'm not in the position to judge Flavio.

"I can just look at the track records he had in Formula 1 and also the inputs on the commercial side that he has given to Formula 1 in the last years, bringing sponsors, bringing new venues that have been important for the development of Formula 1. I think that, you know, if he's able to join the team it means that the ban is expired."

"So I think that, as Fred said, you know, we need to look at the future and give the people a chance, you know, to give a contribution. We need, you know, clever people in Formula 1. And I think that Flavio, we can say that he's a clever one."