Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore wants to wait a little longer before making the final choice of drivers for the French team for 2027. The Italian businessman is particularly keeping a close eye on developments within Mercedes and even lets the driver choice of his own team depend on the plans of the Silver Arrows. ‘We don’t know if Mercedes will take Max, or anything else,’ said Briatore.
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Max Verstappen also confirmed during the Canadian GP that he will remain in Formula 1 in 2027. After months of speculation, the Dutchman said in Montreal: “I can confirm that I am staying.” However, for Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore, that is no reason to lose sight of the situation at Mercedes. Verstappen has been linked several times in recent years to a move to the Silver Arrows.
“We don’t yet know what will happen at Mercedes,” was the telling answer from the Italian businessman when The Race asked him about Alpine’s lineup for 2027. “We don’t know if Mercedes will take Max, or anything else. So let’s first see what will happen before we proceed.” Briatore thus seems to want to wait to see if one of the Mercedes drivers will be available for next year before he definitively announces the Alpine drivers.
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Colapinto
Of the two current Alpine drivers, only Pierre Gasly still has a long-term contract. Franco Colapinto is meanwhile under contract until the end of 2026, but Briatore believes the Argentine has the talent to stay in Formula 1. “Franco, honestly I believe he has the talent to be among the top drivers,” Briatore added. “At the moment we have Gasly and Colapinto. For 2027 we also have Gasly because we signed a long-term contract with him, and after that we’ll see. I hope Franco does very well from now until the end of the season to be able to continue.”
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