Briatore returns to Formula 1: Executive advisor at Alpine

Flavio Briatore is returning to Formula 1 with immediate effect. The Italian has been appointed Executive Advisor for Alpine's F1 team.

In a short announcement via social media, Alpine announced that Briatore has been appointed by Luca de Meo, the CEO of the Renault Group, to advise the F1 team. "Briatore will predominantly focus on top level areas of the team including: scouting top talents and providing insights on the driver market, challenging the existing project by assessing the current structure and advising on some strategic matters within the sport."

This makes the already expected arrival of the Italian final, after there had been rumors for some time that he was already involved with Alpine. For example, a German medium reported on Thursday that Briatore is in discussions with Mercedes on behalf of the French team, with a goal of possibly purchasing the power unit from the Germans.

Briatore has extensive experience in the sport and had great successes as team principal of Benetton (with Michael Schumacher) and Renault (with Fernando Alonso). However, he is not without controversy. Most memorable is the 2008 crashgate in Singapore, when his driver Nelson Piquet - at the request of the team management - deliberately crashed his Renault into the wall. Teammate Alonso benefited from this and later won the race. The FIA ​​punished Briatore with a lifetime ban from the sport, but after an appeal by the Italian, the sentence was overturned.