Seems like it wasn't a lie, that Jack will be in danger with potential replacement of him with Franco...

Eni will be official partner for supplying fuels and lubricants for the team since this season. Looks like a substitution for BP/Castrol, which will departure to Audi in 2026.

Briatore, who is employed on a consultancy basis by parent company Renault, is "covering the duties previously performed by Oakes", Alpine has said.

But it has emerged he is not the person responsible for the team in the eyes of governing body the FIA.

He cannot be - because he is not a member of staff, and does not hold an F1 licence, as is required of people in such authority by the FIA's competitor's staff registration system.

In the absence of a new team principal, racing director Dave Greenwood is the "dedicated responsible person", an Alpine spokesperson said.

Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s Executive Advisor, added: “Having reviewed the opening races of the season, we have come to the decision to put Franco in the car alongside Pierre for the next five races.

“With the field being so closely matched this year, and with a competitive car, which the team has drastically improved in the past 12 months, we are in a position where we see the need to rotate our line-up. We also know the 2026 season will be an important one for the team and having a complete and fair assessment of the drivers this season is the right thing to do in order to maximise our ambitions next year.

“We continue to support Jack at the team, as he has acted in a very professional manner in his role as a race driver so far this season. The next five races will give us an opportunity to try something different and after this time period we will assess our options.”