Alpine's big leap from ninth to sixth in the 2024 Formula 1 constructors' championship in Brazil on Sunday could be worth $30-million to the Renault-owned team, according to Flavio Briatore.
The former F1 team boss, now an executive advisor who reports to Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, clarified the figure to Sky Italia after pundits had speculated the difference in prize money at the end of the season could be as much as $50-million.
Speaking after a dramatic, action-packed and crash-strewn Sunday at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Alpine consultant Briatore told Sky Italia: "It's 29.2 million euros. It's the first thing I asked!"
The Italian added: “Without taking anything away from an incredible Ocon in the wet and a Gasly who did his job well, we were also lucky. I think we have a car that is better in the wet.
"Unfortunately, I don’t think the next three races will have rain, but with all these young drivers presented as new phenomena, we saw how much experience still counts in F1."
Briatore: Congratulations to our engineers
“This year we did another cleaning of the house and we are still doing it. We only took one real evolutionary step so as not to upset the 2025 project, and the step we took was aimed at 2025 anyway. That’s all I authorized.”
“It worked well because this year a lot of teams took steps backwards when they brought updates. Congratulations to our engineers," declared Briatore
Alpine finished second and third in a wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly taking a 35-point haul from the weekend, Saturday sprint included, after scoring only 14 in their previous 20 races.
Briatore said the team had been lucky, with a car down on power but competitive in the wet, and expected the drivers to struggle again in the next race in Las Vegas where engine performance counts for more.
Alpine are three points clear of Haas and five ahead of Red Bull junior team RB with three rounds remaining. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
Latest News
Loading
