Alpine Formula One executive advisor and interim team principal Flavio Briatore has made a surprising claim, stating that Sergio Perez called him before committing to the Cadillac F1 team in recent weeks.

It was recently announced that Perez and Valtteri Bottas would form the Cadillac F1 driver lineup for the 2026 season. But before the deal was finalized, both drivers were linked to Alpine, especially given the uncertain nature of the Enstone-based team’s second seat, currently occupied by Franco Colapinto.

Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan this year due to performance concerns. However, with Colapinto also struggling in the A525 F1 car, despite the impressive run with Williams last year as a reserve driver, it was expected that Briatore would soon replace him with another.

Speculation linked Perez and Bottas to a potential move to Alpine, but the odds of them signing with Cadillac F1 were higher. While there had been no official reports of talks between them and Alpine, Briatore has now revealed a link with Perez, but ruled out Bottas, who he believes got a Cadillac seat because of the rumors linking him to Alpine. Briatore told Auto, Motor und Sport:

“I never spoke to Bottas about 2026. I think the rumors that he might drive for Alpine helped him sign a contract with Cadillac.”

When asked if Perez was a potential option for Alpine, the team boss said:

“Perez called me. He asked me what our plans were, but at the same time, he said he was close to reaching an agreement with Cadillac. I couldn’t offer him anything at the time.”

Briatore opened up about Doohan’s short stint with Alpine, who was replaced after just six races, and revealed how Colapinto has been showing signs of improvement. He said:

“Doohan had too many accidents. Colapinto was also disappointing at the beginning. We thought he’d perform better. Now he’s slowly getting into his stride. He knows the car better and feels more comfortable.”

With Alpine being a factory team until the end of the current year, before it becomes a Mercedes customer team from 2026, Briatore revealed that the pressure is usually higher on rookie drivers. He explained:

“Looking back, we underestimated the pressure these young drivers are under. Alpine is a factory team. The pressure is even greater there. It multiplies in a difficult season. Rookies have an easier time in a small team. Look at (Isack) Hadjar and (Gabriel) Bortoleto.”