As new team principal Oliver Oakes cites poor management for the team's recent failings, Flavio Briatore insists that Alpine is not for sale.

With Renault looking set to pull the plug on its engines, Alpine will most likely turn to Mercedes, and while this might shock the purists - and indeed employees at the French company's factory near Paris - it might help it become more competitive.

The Enstone-based outfit is but a shadow of its former self, the team which first entered the sport as Toleman then morphed into Benetton then Renault then all manner of other guises - even Lotus - and now sports the Alpine logo.

However, along with its various names its fortunes have also changed, and is now to be found battling at the lower end of the midfield, while the constant comings and goings of management dominates the headlines.

Despite the turmoil, Briatore has dismissed speculation that the team might be sold.

"It's not for sale!" he told reporters. "Something is very clear, Luca de Meo never wants to sell the team... question finito!"

"Enstone has something which money can't buy," added new team principal, Oliver Oakes, founder of Hitech, "it has a racing spirit, it has a history. You can't help but go round and find that something that just gives massive passion to making the place where it should be.

"In terms of what it's missing, I dare say it's been mismanaged for quite a few years," he admitted, "we have some amazing people there. It's not the fault of the people, it's the fault of the leadership before.

"To turn around this team you need young people, you need people with a lot of passion for the job," he continued. "At one point a few wrong managers were chosen. I think the list of the wrong ones was quite long.

"If we all do a good job, we're going to move forwards," he insisted. "It drives me a bit crazy today in F1. Everyone does long speeches, talking about X number of races. It gets a bit painful to keep reading that at the end of the day.

"We just have to build a good car and a good team. And I think at the end of that, the results will speak for themselves."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Apexing, 26/08/2024 14:43

"@Editor Sorry for pointing out the obvious, wasn't intending to denigrate anyone. Except for Flavio!"

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2. Posted by flyinglap, 25/08/2024 16:56

"Given Hitech's recent (failed) bid with the FIA to enter F1 as an 11th team, it is a given that Oliver Oakes is already in place with Alpine, one of the existing ten teams, and he has therefore achieved his objective to get to F1 (plan B). Renault already had put in place the minority "celebrity" shareholders in support of the supposed "billion-dollar" valuation thesis. Next, at some point in the near future, will come a "management buyout" led by Oakes himself (therefore NOT a sale on behalf of Renault, technically), to be supported by appropriate external funding (the new owners). Viry-Chatillon will have to oblige and turn their attention possibly to the WEC and Le Mans, and thus everybody will make (or save) money, get more or less what they want, and be happy. Allez-y!"

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3. Posted by Editor, 25/08/2024 15:21

"@ Apexing

Though, in these confused times, I am not anyone's Granny... I do know all about sucking eggs.

I am fully aware of Flav's tactics."

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4. Posted by Apexing, 25/08/2024 15:18

"@Editor, by saying the team is not for sale, he's trying to drive his price up! He's trying to bargain from a position of strength, which IMHO, he clearly doesn't have. "

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5. Posted by Editor, 25/08/2024 10:16

"For what it's worth we have been of the opinion that the team was up for sale from the very start of the season.

The press office is a shambles, there is no information fothcoming on anything, the team appears to have given up."

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6. Posted by ARL, 25/08/2024 10:00

"So, to interpret:

"It is for sale and Flav in his mankini is just the man to front up some questionable middle east state finance for the buyout."

"Renault money better spent on EVs and bonus payments to the powerpoint school of management clowns who dragged the F1 team to the depths they have plumbed, etc, etc."

Posting rules and etiquette mean that you have to do your own google search for the image you know you want to find.

"

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Alpine "not for sale" insists Briatore

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