Flavio Briatore says Valtteri Bottas was by no means a critical candidate for an F1 drive with Alpine earlier than signing with Cadillac.
Bottas, a 10-time grand prix winner, has sealed a full-time return to the F1 grid subsequent season with the brand new Cadillac staff, the place he will probably be partnered by fellow sidelined driver Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Purple Bull on the finish of final yr.
Alpine reportedly enquired in regards to the availability of the present Mercedes reserve as they proceed to weigh up their driver choices for this yr and past, with Bottas confirming he did maintain talks with the staff earlier than deciding on Cadillac.
Nevertheless, de facto Alpine boss Briatore insisted a transfer for the 36-year-old Finn was by no means actually on the playing cards.
“I talked with lots of people,” Briatore conceded on the Dutch Grand Prix, the place Crash.internet are on the bottom. “I talked with Bottas as nicely. We talked with Toto as nicely on the time, however actually, there was by no means a dialogue for Bottas to drive for Alpine.
“I believe Alpine helped Bottas slightly bit to signal the contract with Cadillac. We did some advertising. However that is the explanation, truthfully.
“I like Valtteri as a result of he’s a brilliant driver. And what Toto says is strictly the identical. He was unfortunate to be in Mercedes concurrently Lewis, when Lewis was actually on the peak of his driving.
“Now we have a special thought, nevertheless it’s good to have Valtteri again. It’s good to have a driver again with plenty of expertise, however I’m searching for one thing else.”
Valtteri Bottas
Doubt forged on Franco Colapinto’s future
Briatore forged additional doubt on Franco Colapinto’s future by admitting the Argentine has not met expectations following a massively troublesome begin to life on the staff.
Alpine purchased Colapinto out of his Williams contract and positioned him in Jack Doohan’s seat after the opening six races of the 2025 F1 season, however he has struggled alongside Pierre Gasly and is but to attain some extent.
“I believe I see every thing already. I don’t must see something anymore,” Briatore replied when requested what he must see from Colapinto to retain his seat.
“It’s troublesome. For this driver, it’s very troublesome to deal with this automobile. These vehicles are very, very heavy, very fast. And for a younger driver to place in Components 1, perhaps it was not the timing to have Franco in Components 1.
“Possibly he wants one other yr or two to be a part of Components 1. And I do know that, in the long run, what’s essential is the outcome. He tries very arduous. He tries very arduous with the engineers to please them in every thing, nevertheless it’s not what I anticipate from Colapinto.
Briatore added: “We modified Doohan with Franco Colapinto and perhaps Colapinto has an excessive amount of strain to be in Components 1.
“He had two or three races with [Williams] and he did very nicely however perhaps to be within the staff with driver like Pierre and all the time in competitors together with his team-mate, perhaps we put an excessive amount of strain on him.
“Someday we [forget] that the motive force is a human being, and we want a while to grasp precisely what’s occurring.
“As a result of they’re younger youngsters, 19, 20, 22, 23. I believe our errors try to underestimate the human a part of the life.
“I do know we’re all the time searching for the timing. Possibly I missed one thing within the administration of the motive force for the longer term.”
