Flavio Briatore, Alpine's team advisor, has voiced strong opposition to Formula 1's planned technical regulation changes for 2026, arguing that the sport should preserve its current competitive balance.
The 2026 rules, which include a significant increase in engine electrification, have sparked heated debate, with Red Bull and Ferrari advocating for less drastic changes or even a return to V10 engines.
Despite these discussions, the F1 Commission recently upheld the existing plan.
For Alpine, the shift to customer Mercedes engines in 2026—replacing their underperforming works Renault power units—could actually be advantageous, with Mercedes tipped to lead under the new regulations.
Nevertheless, Briatore remains critical.
"I think it's wrong to change the rules," he told Sky Italia, "because we are at a point now where we have 10 or 12 cars within two tenths of each other and that's what we've always hoped for. It's what we always said that we wanted—cars very close together and several different drivers winning grands prix. So now we change the rules? I don't know what the point is."
Proponents of the 2026 regulations argue that they have attracted new manufacturers, with Honda reversing its exit decision, Audi committing to enter, and Cadillac-General Motors joining in 2029.
Briatore, however, sees no need for change given the current grid's competitiveness. "The problem," he said, "is that we all wanted to have a Formula 1 with cars close together and see the fight between the drivers. Now we've got there. So what do we do? 'Let's change it again!'
"So we'll see, it's all a mystery what will happen next. But very clearly, I wouldn't have changed the rules at all. What more do we want? More than what we see today is impossible."
