Alpine adviser Briatore and McLaren's Norris demand changes in Formula 1

Flavio Briatore, the Italian executive adviser to the Alpine F1 Team, said the squad "does not know why it isn’t winning" and stressed that greater creativity and stability are needed to challenge leading teams such as McLaren and Ferrari. After a poor 2025 season, Alpine has risen to sixth place in the 2026 Constructors' Championship, with Pierre Gasly scoring 42 points and Argentine driver Franco Colapinto adding 19, putting the team in contention for a higher finish.

McLaren driver Lando Norris criticised the way Formula 1 is run, arguing that business interests dominate the sport and that drivers have too little influence over technical regulations. In an interview he said, "It is a shame that F1 is governed only by business and not by the goal of making the sport the best it can be." Norris blamed the 2026 rule package on the need to attract new manufacturers, saying the process sidelined the perspectives of the drivers who race each weekend.