Flavio Briatore has issued a direct warning to Aston Martin, stating that state-of-the-art facilities alone are insufficient for Formula 1 success. The Alpine executive advisor highlighted Aston Martin’s current performance struggles in the 2026 season as a cautionary example for rival teams.
Aston Martin currently occupies tenth position in the Constructors’ Championship, having secured only one point across eleven Grands Prix this season. Fernando Alonso accounts for this solitary point, placing him nineteenth in the Drivers’ standings, while Lance Stroll remains without points in twentieth.
The team’s single point was achieved at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this season. This performance comes despite significant investments in infrastructure, including a new factory opened in 2023 and a new in-house wind tunnel operational since the eve of the 2025 season.
The 2026 season marks Aston Martin’s first year in a works alliance with Honda. Initial excitement surrounding the Adrian Newey-influenced AMR26 chassis, which debuted at the Barcelona Shakedown in January, quickly diminished due to chronic power unit vibrations and reliability issues.
Honda’s power unit has been identified as a primary weakness for the team. While vibrations were reportedly resolved by the Japanese Grand Prix, the car’s overall pace remained uncompetitive. Honda chief engineer Shintaro Orihara admitted that by late 2025, they knew they were not competitive, but did not anticipate the severity of their current situation.
Aston Martin introduced a substantial upgrade package, comprising sixteen updates, at the Hungarian Grand Prix in late July. These revisions aimed to enhance the diffuser’s airflow and facilitate a high rake angle, a preference of Adrian Newey, who joined as managing technical partner in spring 2025.
Despite these updates, the team failed to score points in Hungary, with Stroll finishing thirteenth and Alonso fourteenth. Further engine improvements, specifically Honda’s ADUO update, are scheduled to debut at the upcoming Dutch Grand Prix later this month.
Briatore, who won two titles with the Enstone team in 2005 and 2006, contrasted Aston Martin’s situation with Alpine’s current trajectory. Alpine, powered by Mercedes this season, sits sixth in the Constructors’ Championship with 61 points.
The French team, with drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 campaign, including a podium finish for Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix, which was reinstated after a successful Right of Review. However, Alpine’s momentum has reportedly faded since the Austrian Grand Prix as midfield rivals intensified their development.
Racing Bulls notably overtook Alpine in the standings following the Hungarian Grand Prix. Briatore emphasized that success is a matter of belief and collective effort, not solely superior facilities or personnel.
He also noted that many former Alpine staff, who departed for teams including Cadillac and Aston Martin during Alpine’s restructuring, are now seeking to return. Briatore stated he is not currently welcoming these individuals back to the team.
‘I don’t see what the other people have,’ Briatore stated. ‘Sure, maybe somebody has a better facility. But we see as well the example of Aston Martin, with the best facility in the world, and the best engineer in the world. It’s not so competitive, you know? It’s only a question of the people need to believe it’s possible to win. Put [in] all the effort.’
Alpine experienced significant personnel losses in aerodynamics, simulation, and operations during its turbulent restructuring phase. Rob White, a long-standing figure at Enstone, moved to Cadillac as chief operating officer, and Ferrari reportedly recruited key personnel from Alpine’s Viry-Châtillon engine operation.
