Briatore: We are getting back to having a racing team.

      Alpine continues to be a French Formula 1 team, even though there seems to be a lack of interest from the nation itself. This is the opinion of Renault's Italian CEO Luca de Meo, whose notable compatriot Flavio Briatore is actively transforming the team after a significant decline in 2024. "The car has improved significantly," Briatore stated to Canal Plus during the Bahrain event, "we have secured new and very important sponsors, and the team is beginning to take form." Among the new sponsors is Mercado Libre, one of the personal backers of new reserve driver Franco Colapinto. "We are beginning to rebuild a racing team," Briatore mentioned. "Pierre (Gasly) is pleased with the car's performance, and many things will soon change within the team. We must regain competitiveness and become an aggressive team capable of winning races. I've set myself a three-year target to restore Alpine's position in Formula 1 because we have everything needed to succeed. Everything." Interestingly, Nikita Mazepin's billionaire Russian father Dmitry, who previously had strong connections with team boss Oliver Oakes, was a guest of the Alpine team in Bahrain on Thursday. With Alpine planning to cease its F1 engine operations at Viry-Chatillon by the end of the year and transition to customer Mercedes engines, it raises the question of whether the team can still be considered truly French. "We absolutely remain a French team," Renault CEO de Meo asserted to France’s Auto Hebdo. "History has guided us in this direction, but if we could find French talent and sponsors, we would welcome them. Unfortunately, we can't find any. So we have to explore opportunities elsewhere. Nevertheless, we still view Alpine as the national team for France in Formula 1." More than other teams, Alpine appears to be concentrating heavily on the entirely new 2026 regulations, with some observers noting that the new car is based on a "recycled" 2024 chassis. "In terms of feel, I would say it continues from what I experienced at the end of last year, with some updates," French driver Gasly shared with L’Equipe. "I believe we have a strong foundation." With rookie Jack Doohan as his teammate, and the possibility of another rookie, Colapinto, joining the sister car later in the season, Gasly expresses that he feels more like a team leader than ever. "I know that my technical feedback is receiving a lot of attention now," Gasly remarked. "The team is open about it. I can see they are all listening to me. For me, it's a role that carries a bit more responsibility, but I appreciate it. I sense there is much more calm within the team compared to this time last year. You could almost say it’s like night and day."