Briatore plays down driver market as Sainz weighs future

Flavio Briatore has played down speculation of a potential driver change at Alpine, as Carlos Sainz weighs up his options for 2027.

The Spaniard’s future has become a talking point again as his contract is up for renewal at Williams, where progress in 2026 has been slower than expected.

Sainz told DAZN in Barcelona that his intention remains to stay at Williams, but he admitted he will evaluate his options before committing for 2027.

"My plan is to stay with Williams," he said.

"I want to continue with this car and this project."

However, the former Ferrari driver also acknowledged that he must make a decision this year and consider "all his options".

That is inevitably fuelling speculation about Alpine, where Sainz previously raced under the Renault banner.

But Briatore insists Alpine’s priority is not spending heavily on a star driver.

Asked by Sky Italia if he was monitoring the driver market and perhaps considering a world champion-calibre signing, the Italian answered: "At this moment, if I have a driver who can bring me two or three tenths more, that’s not really the issue.

"What I need to do is improve the car technically."

Briatore said Alpine’s current driver line-up of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto is not the team’s limiting factor.

"The moment I’ve improved the car, then things change," he explained.

"You have to go step by step. You can’t put a driver in the car because you think he’s a world champion and expect miracles if the car itself isn’t capable of winning."

He added: "You don’t hire a great driver to finish fifth."

Alpine currently sits fifth in the constructors’ standings, with Briatore now targeting the next step.

"Right now, fifth is what we’re defending, because it’s not over. Now we have to target fourth place."

The 76-year-old believes closing the gap to the leading teams must come before any major driver investment.

"When we get there, then the driver makes the difference," he said.

"But until I have a car that is one or two tenths from that fourth team, because you can’t catch all three at once, can you? You have to pick them off one at a time."

Only then would Briatore consider spending big on a driver.

"When I have a car that’s two tenths from McLaren, then I start thinking about drivers," he said.

"Then I start saying that investing in a driver is important because those three or four tenths can come from the driver."

"So right now it’s premature to talk about it," Briatore insisted.

"Maybe by August we’ll be in a different situation and having a different discussion. But I have a program that goes from here to here.

"I’ve reached this point. And to get to the next point, I need a car that is technically very close to the fourth-best team that I want to catch."