Alpine has introduced the return of former Renault Components 1 group boss Flavio Briatore in an advisory function, 14 years after he was dismissed for his half in “Crashgate.”
Following weeks of hypothesis that Alpine was sounding out Briatore a couple of function within the squad because it evaluates its F1 future, the French producer confirmed on Friday morning that the Italian had taken on a proper place.
A brief assertion from the group stated: “BWT Alpine F1 Staff can verify that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Government Advisor for the Components One Division.
“Briatore will predominantly concentrate on prime degree areas of the group together with: scouting prime skills and offering insights on the driving force market, difficult the prevailing undertaking by assessing the present construction and advising on some strategic issues throughout the sport.”
Whereas Briatore helped steer the Benetton and Renault groups to its most profitable years in F1, because it received world titles with Michael Schumacher in 1995/1996 and Fernando Alonso in 2005/2006, his tenure on the squad led to considered one of F1’s greatest controversies.
He was dismissed, and initially given a lifetime ban by the FIA, for the function he performed in what grew to become generally known as the “Crashgate” scandal from the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Briatore had been implicated in a plot that concerned driver Nelson Piquet Jr. crashing intentionally early within the Marina Bay race to set off a security automotive that helped his team-mate Alonso win.
The conspiracy solely got here to mild the next season after Piquet Jr. revealed all the main points following his dismissal from the squad.
Whereas the FIA sanction taken in opposition to Briatore initially imposed a lifetime ban, Briatore managed to overturn this within the French Tribunal de Grande Occasion in 2010.
The courts concluded that there had been irregularities within the sanctions that had been handed down by the FIA in opposition to each Briatore and the group’s then director of engineering Pat Symonds, who had additionally been dismissed from the group and initially given a five-year ban.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Pictures
Regardless of the controversial finish to his tenure as a group principal, Briatore continued to have involvement in F1. He stays a part of Alonso’s administration group and in addition performed an element within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Briatore’s appointment to Alpine comes amid an attention-grabbing level within the group’s historical past, because it ponders abandoning changing into a producer squad and switching to grow to be a buyer outfit from 2026.
It’s understood that Renault CEO Luca da Meo, who Briatore will report back to, is evaluating whether or not the large funding wanted for Renault to supply its personal engine is value it, contemplating the success that buyer groups can take pleasure in in F1.
Briatore will doubtless be tasked with finalising a call on the ability unit entrance, with Mercedes a possible goal for a provide deal.
