Formula 1 | Briatore: Alpine F1 not yet ready for someone like Newey

Adrian Newey has been courted by numerous teams since announcing his departure from Red Bull Racing and he ended up choosing Aston Martin F1 over Ferrari.

But other teams, like Alpine F1, tried to recruit him, as Flavio Briatore, the executive consultant, confirms today. So why didn’t he choose them?

“You have to ask him. Adrian is an artist. We are not yet ready for someone like him. To take advantage of him, you have to have the right team around him. Maybe in two or three years we We’ll be ready for him. That’s why I never talked to him seriously.”

Salary was not necessarily a barrier, since it was outside the ceiling for the three main managers of a team. But according to Briatore, Alpine F1 does not yet have a strong enough budget to afford it.

“In theory, the budget cap looks very good. The reality is different. If you want to do it right, the pilot has to be included in the budget. And the expensive engineers too. Adrian Newey is as expensive as a pilot. C “is a significant expense factor.”

“So rich teams will always have an advantage because they can afford expensive drivers or engineers and don’t have to suffer in other areas. If the driver was included it would be a fair system. Then you can decide : Would I rather spend my money on the driver or the car?”