Sep.21 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has all however shut the door on Yuki Tsunoda and different exterior contenders for Alpine’s second seat in 2026.
“I don’t see every other risk,” the Italian advised reporters, having earlier insisted the selection is now between incumbent Colapinto and group reserve Paul Aron.
“It’s between Franco and Paul. Paul is a really good man, and a really quick driver. And I would like to know what’s finest for the group, you already know?”
Tsunoda’s slim hopes of reviving his Components 1 profession exterior Crimson Bull look like dwindling, with Briatore making clear he has “no real interest in anybody” else.
“Earlier than, folks drove me loopy as a result of I managed 50 % of the drivers on the grid. Now, I don’t handle anybody. I don’t care. I’m not ,” mentioned the 75-year-old.
“My solely curiosity is to attempt to recruit one of the best driver accessible and do one of the best job attainable with us. It’s so simple as that.”
Briatore mentioned true skills are all the time apparent – and he doesn’t see that high quality in in the present day’s junior sequence. “I keep in mind when Schumi was racing in Group C with Sauber, he was profitable each race,” he mentioned.
“GP2 was the identical – Hamilton was all the time on the rostrum. Fernando was driving a Components 3 automobile or one thing and he was profitable each race. I keep in mind testing him at Minardi and Giancarlo (Minardi) referred to as me and mentioned, ‘I’ve by no means seen something like this.’
“The remaining? Have you ever seen the F2 and F3 races? You see a driver win a race. The following race, he’s 14th, then third, then twelfth once more.”
For Tsunoda, the trail ahead seems to be bleak with out Crimson Bull help. “It’s not my job to speak to different groups or do something like that,” mentioned the Japanese driver at Baku.
“My job is to drive quick and get the correct outcomes.”
