Flavio Briatore Returns to F1: The Alpine Announcement! And His Role… It is now OFFICIAL: Flavio Briatore returns to F1 with the Alpine team, the former Renault. 15 years after the ban, Briatore is back in the paddock of the Circus.
“The BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed, by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, as his executive advisor for the Formula One Division“: with a very brief statement, the French team announced the return of the Italian manager to a Formula 1 team as an advisor (a news that had already leaked in recent weeks), with the “same colors” that in 2005 and 2006 led him to win his last two F1 world championships.
Flavio Briatore’s Career
Flavio Briatore began his Formula 1 career in the 1980s, entering the racing world through his work in the fashion industry. In 1988, thanks to his friendship with Luciano Benetton, Briatore joined Benetton Formula as commercial director. His charisma and managerial skills quickly led him to become the team principal, a role in which he would start making a significant mark in the Formula 1 world.
Under Briatore’s leadership, the Benetton Formula team saw a rapid rise. One of the key moments was the hiring of Michael Schumacher in 1991, a young talent who would dominate the scene in the following years. Thanks to the combination of a competitive car, an extraordinary driver, and effective management, Benetton won two consecutive world championships in 1994 and 1995. These successes cemented Briatore’s reputation as one of the most skilled managers in the paddock.
After leaving Benetton, Briatore continued his Formula 1 career with Renault. The team, which had purchased Benetton in 2000, saw Briatore return as team principal. Under his leadership, Renault achieved significant successes, including two drivers’ world championships with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006, and two constructors’ championships in the same years. This period further strengthened Briatore’s reputation as one of the top strategists in Formula 1.
The “Ban” from F1 and the Comeback
Despite his successes, Briatore’s career has also been marked by controversies. The most significant was the “Crashgate” of 2008, in which Renault was accused of ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash to benefit Alonso during the Singapore Grand Prix. The scandal led Briatore to leave Formula 1 in 2009, after being banned from the sport (a decision later overturned). Today marks a new chapter: Briatore returns to Alpine (formerly Renault), coming back to the paddock after over 15 years as an “executive advisor.”
Photo: BWT Alpine F1 Team
