Lawrence Stroll buys Alpine makes Flavio Briatore team principal at Aston Martin
F1 NewsWednesday, 01 April 2026 at 07:30
Formula 1 is on track for the next month, but today, explosive news is set to break, with billionaire Lawrence Stroll set to acquire Renault's failed Alpine F1 Team in a $550-million deal, installing Flavio Briatore as team principal of Aston Martin.
The move, described by insiders as a sweeping double power play, would see Stroll Senior expand his Formula 1 empire to two teams, reshaping the leadership structure at his Silverstone operation. Much like the Red Bull two-team business model. At the same time, get someone to save the most expensive vanity project in the history of the world.
Alpine, understood to be carrying significant debt, would have its financial burden cleared as part of the acquisition, instantly stabilising the Enstone-based outfit and bringing it under Stroll’s control.
At the same time, Briatore is expected to take charge of Aston Martin’s day-to-day operations as a team principal in the top-heavy organisation in crisis. Fernando Alonso was reportedly instrumental in bringing the two parties together, pushing the case for his long-time mentor to take charge of the rudderless ship.
The acquisition is believed to be driven by a strategic shift rather than a reactionary move. Stroll is understood to be replicating the Red Bull structure, creating a second team to support his main operation.
Such a model would allow Aston Martin to place drivers within a sister team, easing pressure on a lineup currently locked in place. Also, providing an alternative to their reserve drivers who are dead-ended in the role.
Briatore reunited with Alonso as Newey focuses on fixing the car
With Lance Stroll’s seat secure until he is wheelchair bound and Alonso continuing to deliver at a high level, opportunities for new talent within Aston Martin remain limited. Hence, the second team to rsolve that issue and also be a test bed for the A-Team.
Sources suggest Alonso himself played a role in connecting the parties: “It was about bringing people together and seeing what could be possible,” he is understood to have said during early discussions.
The news of Briatore’s appointment signals a clear shift in Aston Martin’s operational approach, with the Italian expected to oversee team management and performance.
Behind the scenes, Adrian Newey, stripped of his Team Principal role, will remain focused on technical development, tasked with delivering the car capable of fulfilling Stroll’s long-term ambitions.
Keeping F1's greatest designer away from the limelight is vital, as too much time he spent in front of cameras took his eye off the ball. The objective is to keep the Genius chained to his drawing board to sort out the mess that is the AMR26. And then get the maths right for 2027.
The dynamic inevitably recalls Briatore and Alonso’s championship-winning partnership at Renault in 2005 and 2006, now reimagined within a new structure. It also reunites two key players in the notorious Crashgate Scandal: Briatore and Alonso.
Newey and staff keep low profile when big boss Lawrence visits the factory
Reports from Aston Martin’s Silverstone base suggest a high-pressure environment, with Stroll’s presence commanding attention across the factory.
Staff are said to keep a low profile when the owner arrives, while Newey, with a direct view of the entrance, is rumoured to disappear on his daily 10k run, or pop into town for a spot of tea to avoid the wrath of the Aston Martin supremo. Honda people seconded to AMR HQ, are also known to 'disappear' at these times.
Having already invested an estimated $1 billion into Aston Martin, Stroll’s latest move represents a major escalation of his Formula 1 project. By acquiring Alpine and restructuring leadership, he gains both strategic flexibility and a pathway to develop talent outside his main team.
The long-term objective remains unchanged. To build a race-winning operation around his son, Lance, and establish Aston Martin as a dominant force in Formula 1. Who will run Alpine was not part of the leaked documents sent to our email.
When confirmed, the deal would stand as one of the boldest and most unconventional moves in the sport’s modern era, but one cannot deny that Briatore, with his F1 title-winning pedigree, first with Michael Schumacher and then with Fernando Alonso, could be Stroll's best buy yet. Time will tell...
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