Alpine officially announced on Friday that Flavio Briatore will be joining the team in Enstone. The Italian businessman, who previously led the French racing team, had to step down due to his involvement in crashgate. His reappointment has drawn criticism towards Alpine and Bruno Famin. However, other team bosses have come to their defense.
Bruno Famin was asked about Flavio Briatore during a press conference in Barcelona, who has recently taken on an advisory role within Alpine. “I’m not that interested in the past,” responded the Frenchman, referring to the crashgate scandal. “I prefer to look to the future and what we can do to improve our team. That’s our goal.”
“By hiring Flavio (Briatore) as an advisor, we can benefit from his knowledge,” Famin continued. “He knows a lot about Formula 1, has many good people working for him, and I’m sure he can help us develop our team better and faster. Team bosses Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur came to their competitor’s aid. They also believe that Briatore is an asset to the sport.
Everyone Deserves a Second Chance
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” says Wolff. “I know Briatore as a very smart businessman. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge about Formula 1. Over the past ten years, I have had a lot of contact with him – his input has always been extremely valuable. If you work in Formula 1 for four decades, you naturally build up the necessary expertise. I think it’s good that Alpine, especially in its current state, hires someone with a bit of common sense.”
Fred Vasseur also has no problem with Briatore’s arrival. “It is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for Alpine,” the Frenchman said. “We all know what happened in the past, but he has sat on the blisters long enough. If Alpine thinks he can come back now, then he is welcome as far as I’m concerned.”
Flavio Briatore is a controversial figure within the sport. After winning world titles with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, he was forced to leave the field in 2009. Due to his involvement in crashgate – the scandal where Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed his car into the wall – he was even banned from Formula 1 for a while.
Flavio Briatore’s New Role as Consultant for Alpine’s Formula 1 Team
Flavio Briatore recently took on a role as a consultant within the Formula 1 team of Alpine.
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