Flavio Briatore F1 return confirmed as new Alpine role revealed

Flavio Briatore left F1 in disgrace in 2009.

Following extensive speculation, Flavio Briatore is officially back on the Formula 1 scene as he returns to his former team now known as Alpine.

The Italian businessman has been a part of the Enstone-based team through various identities, starting out in their Benetton days ahead of the transition to Renault, serving as team boss.

Flavio Briatore named Alpine executive advisor

His tenure with the team and in Formula 1 ended on a sour note after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix ‘Crashgate’ scandal, but Briatore’s F1 comeback is now official in the role of executive advisor at the team, now known as Alpine.

Briatore’s appointment comes from Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who has placed Briatore as the executive advisor for their Formula 1 team.

As part of the role, Alpine stated that Briatore will “predominantly focus on top level areas of the team”, adding that this will involve “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”.

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Briatore’s comeback marks the continuation of sweeping changes at the team, which is looking to recover from a slow start to the F1 2024 campaign which leaves them down in P8 in the F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings.

Briatore arrives following the recent signing of former Ferrari and McLaren figure David Sanchez as executive technical director, while change is looming on the driver front as well, with Esteban Ocon’s departure at the end of the F1 2024 campaign confirmed, while his team-mate Pierre Gasly is yet to sign a contract for next year.

Current Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu has recently emerged as a contender for an F1 2025 Alpine seat, his “very close” connection with Geely Group – which entered into a 50/50 partnership with Renault Group to form HORSE Powertrains – holding potential to work in his favour, as Zhou said Geely has “high interest” around Formula 1.

“On my side, let’s say, with the options still available, of course, fair to say I’m talking to all the options and trying to figure out what is the best together,” Zhou told media including PlanetF1.com in Barcelona.

“And of course, the main priority remains, try to stay on the grid for next season. But yeah, further details, nothing has been confirmed.

“So we need a little bit longer, of course, to be understanding exactly where I’m heading off or staying in the future.

“All I can say is that, for myself, personally, I’ve been already working together with Geely Group.

“I’ve been an ambassador for their cars, Zeekr is from their group, so I’m very close with them.

“Of course, they still have a high interest around motorsports, on Formula 1 in general. I think anything, I think where I’m heading, they will try to help me in that side, which is nice to have.

“But then knowing they have a good connection with Alpine, it’s not really making my decision more where I’m going to [be] heading off, but that’s what they are doing with their own road cars.

“But yeah, I’m convinced that they will try everything for me and also myself together with my manager group, but nothing else to add really, on that side of things.

“For sure, they have interest in this sport in Formula 1 and I think, especially, they want to definitely come back to Formula 1, but which way, we need to see – nothing more to add.

“Of course, the way I’ve always done is more about a partnership and in a very good way. Close, let’s say partnership, but the rest, we need to see what their strategy is in terms of building up the brand and marketing they have.”

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