F1 News
Briatore's brutal assessment of his new team: 'Alpine was in the sh*t!'
- Tygo Bekkema
Alpine's Formula 1 team caused a stir this year by appointing Flavio Briatore as team advisor. The flamboyant Italian left motorsport's premier class after the handling of the infamous Crashgate scandal, in which he was closely involved as the then Renault team boss. Today, Briatore is back in full force and says his presence at the Enstone team was seriously needed.
According to Briatore, he was not listened to initially when he came up with well-meaning advice. "Luca de Meo, the chairman of Renault, I have known Luca for a long time before he arrived at Renault,” said Briatore.
“When he arrived, I gave him some suggestions, I said Formula 1 is a very difficult business. The people you have are not so good. He didn’t listen, zero." Briatore explained to the Formula For Success podcast.
Briatore was brought back after all
Alpine has been struggling with its form this year. Before 2024, Alpine tended to float around mid-table without any real direction. "So after three years, he’s called me, we meet, ‘I mean, we are completely in the sh*t with the team’. And I tell Luca, ‘Luca, Formula 1 is a different business. Formula 1, you need to have somebody dedicated to the team. Not be a corporate and not be bureaucracy, the team spirit, etc," Briatore said.
The Italian has now been working as an advisor for several months and is totally delighted with the new role within the team he left through the back door in 2008. "It is a new challenge, new motivation, I am very happy to be back."
Finally, the eccentric Italian made a big prediction. "Alpine, I promise you, give me two years, in two years’ time we see the podium. In 2027 we have a podium.” Briatore concluded.
This article has been written in collaboration with Toby Nixon.