Translation(Credits to Alfus from Alpine subreddit for the translation):
In an interview with auto motor und sport, Flavio Briatore reveals why he came back, how he wants to apply the old success model to Alpine and what he understands by a good management style.
You decided to make a comeback to Formula 1 at the age of 74. Why return to retirement?
Briatore: I was never really away. In the meantime, I was an ambassador for the sport for Stefano Domenicali and worked with him on new races and marketing opportunities. And as Fernando Alonso's manager, I was always in contact with the scene. But I was mainly involved in setting up my restaurant chain. I started from scratch. We are now one of the largest groups in the luxury segment worldwide and employ 1,200 people. It pretty much runs itself by now. There wasn't much left for me to do. My son moved from Monte Carlo to Geneva because he is studying there. It was getting a bit lonely at home and I was bored. And Formula 1 never really lets you go. I admit, I missed it. And then I had a conversation with Luca de Meo. I've known him for ages. I told him that it was sad to see a former world champion team in this state.
And how did it become a job?
Briatore: In the beginning, the idea was to help a little. I wasn't sure because so much has changed in Formula 1. We talked about the last few years of Alpine in a very non-committal way. Losing two drivers like Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri in one summer was a bit of an inability. Fernando wanted to stay because the season before wasn't that bad. We wanted to sign the contract in Canada. Then Laurent Rossi suddenly disappeared. We could no longer contact him. That was the moment when I started talking to Lawrence Stroll from Aston Martin. We even had an offer from Williams. I said to them: get your shop in order first. In the end, we signed with Aston Martin because we couldn't get on with Alpine's management. The faults lay with the management. That's when I said to Luca: if I get full responsibility, I'll do it.
You became world champion with Benetton during your career and made Renault world champion in the 2000s. Is the situation today comparable to back then?
Briatore: It is comparable to 2002. But we are in a better position with Alpine than we were with Renault back then. The team was in total disarray in 2002. Everyone was arguing with everyone else. With Luca, I now have the opportunity to do everything we want to do in the next three to five years. The first step was to get rid of our own engine. That means we're saying goodbye to something that only costs us money but brings us nothing. Mercedes will give us the best engine and the best gearbox in the business in 2026. If you want to win, 80 to 90 per cent of your components have to be the best. You don't need handicaps. In 2002, Renault had a very good engine. It was so good that we were even able to sell it to Red Bull later on. And the gearbox? It can't win you any races, it can only lose you some.
How do you want to turn Alpine around?*
Briatore: I have clear and simple management structures. We have appointed Oliver Oakes as team principal because he is young and motivated and has motorsport experience. Running a Formula 1 team is certainly different to being a Formula 2 team principal. But Ollie learns very quickly. He is a great choice.
Why didn't you want to be team principal yourself?
Briatore: Why? I have been for long enough. I want to take care of the big picture and not be at the factory in Enstone every day. I represent our president Luca. I don't need a title to do that. Everyone knows that: I make the decisions. You need a team principal and a technical director to implement them. I have my old Benetton team in mind. There were three or four people running the place. I had less experience back then, but fortunately I had a good technical team around me with Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds. Now we have a good team under our Technical Director David Sanchez, a mix of people from the past and young engineers. We have to build the new Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds from that. In the meantime, everyone can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With the Mercedes engine, we have the basis to win. That is the mission. Not just driving around in circles.
How do you intend to achieve this?
Briatore: You need the right people in the management positions. They can do what they want in their area as long as they deliver results. If not, that's where I come in. I am a democratic dictator. I trust people as long as they return the trust. If they are bad, I change them. Bad people infect everyone who works under them. They then say to themselves: why should I work for someone who is worse than me?
They say that people make the difference. Adrian Newey was on the market. Why did he go to Aston Martin and not Alpine?
Briatore: You'll have to ask him that. Adrian is an artist. We're not ready for someone like him yet. To benefit from him, you have to have the right team around him. Maybe we'll be ready in two or three years. That's why I've never spoken to him seriously.
Can the solutions that worked in the 2000s still be applied today?
Briatore: I think so. Successful models survive the test of time. As a manager, I have to make sure that everyone in the team understands what it's all about. Everyone must always have the goal in mind. The past is part of the present. That's why I had the world champion cars from 1995 and 2006 and all the world championship trophies placed in the entrance hall at Enstone and the previous year's car taken out. On Monday, our people come to the factory, see what this team has achieved and are prepared to work an extra three hours. When success comes, you no longer ask how high your personal commitment is. The difference today is that the teams have become much bigger and spend more money. You have to recognize the good people and let them grow. The size of the teams means that responsibility in the individual areas is spread over several shoulders.
Isn't it harder to keep 800 people happy instead of 400?
Briatore: It all depends on the management staff. That's maybe 20 people. Just like in my restaurants, actually. We have 37 establishments worldwide. The product is different, but the system of creating a good product is the same as in Formula 1. We have to find the best people for all departments, in the technical office and production. The technical director has the task of putting it all together and overseeing the final product. I see a lot of progress here. The mood and motivation are much better today than they were five months ago. You only have to look at the faces of the people in the factory. There is a completely different spirit than when I started. You motivate employees with two things: Money and success.
How much time do you devote to Formula 1?
Briatore: About 60 percent. I will be at Enstone three days a week in the winter. That's enough. I'm not going there to show my face. Something has to come out of it. I meet with our department heads there and find out whether the targets are being met. In the end, I'm only responsible to Luca de Meo. I owe him success. And we are lucky with him. He is a fan of motorsport. He wants to win. Even more so than Louis Schweitzer and Carlos Ghosn, with whom I had dealings in the past.
