F1 News: Briatore sets Fernando Alonso Alpine deadline as F1 driver lineup set to be decided

Flavio Briatore, Fernando Alonso, generic, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Briatore sets Fernando Alonso Alpine deadline as F1 driver lineup set to be decided

The clock is counting down for Alonso

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Wednesday 24 June 2026 19:30

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Fernando Alonso is going to have to make a quick decision if he is to return to Alpine next season in Formula 1 after comments from team boss Flavio Briatore.

Alonso is currently in his fourth season at Aston Martin but is weighing up whether to stay at Adrian Newey's team or even retire from F1 altogether after a brutal campaign with the struggling team.

Aston Martin entered 2026 hoping to be challenging near the front end of the grid but instead have just one point after the first seven races following Alonso's fortunate 10th place at the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Good news does appear to be on the horizon at Aston Martin, with a huge range of chassis and engine upgrades from Honda to come after the summer break at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.

However, Alonso has been linked with a return to Alpine, having driven for the Enstone team three times previously.

Briatore gives Alonso until the summer break

Alpine boss Flavio Briatore, who managed Alonso at Renault in the 2000s, is interested in the two-time world champion but has effectively told him that should an opportunity arise at Alpine then he must decide to join the team again by the summer break at the end of July, rather than wait and see if the Aston Martin improves in the Netherlands.

Furthermore, Briatore was speaking to F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, and claimed he was right now happy with his driver combination of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, claiming they had the positive dynamic that previous team-mate combinations Alonso had at Renault in the 2000s under his watch, but falling short of confirming them for 2027.

"If Franco is performing like he's performing now, and the relationship between Franco and Pierre is like now, you know, it is the same with Alonso at the the time with [Giancarlo] Fisichella, with [Jarno] Trulli - super relationship," he said.

"[So] Why not? I know Franco very well. We know Pierre very well. We are in the moment to build up the technically to build up the team's consistency. We have plenty of races to go to the end of August and before the summer break we decide."

Briatore is already locked in with Gasly, who he called a 'top-six' driver, with a contract until 2028, but Colapinto's deal is up at the end of the year.

Having gone all of 2025 without a point, Colapinto now has 16 in 2026, although it leaves him 25 short of Gasly who has already bagged a podium this season at the Monaco Grand Prix.

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F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso Alpine Flavio Briatore