Briatore's return: Alpine team focused on future, downplays impact of past scandal

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Alpine dismisses concerns over Briatore’s controversial F1 history.

BARCELONA, Spain -- Alpine and its Formula One rivals have collectively brushed off Flavio Briatore’s controversial past, asserting that his involvement in the infamous Crashgate scandal is best left to the sport’s history books.

After receiving a lifetime F1 ban for orchestrating the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix crash while managing Renault, Briatore has returned to the struggling French manufacturer’s F1 team. This time, he serves as an executive advisor, a role marking his official comeback since his ban was overturned on appeal in 2013.

Despite Renault’s two-year suspended sentence for the scandal, the current F1 boss, Bruno Famin, insists the incident is no longer relevant. “I don't really mind about [the] past,” Famin stated during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend. “I am always looking at the future, and looking at what we can get and to get our team better. And that's really our goal.”

Famin emphasized the valuable knowledge Briatore brings to the team: “What I see is with having Flavio as an advisor of the team is the opportunity to have his experience, to help us. He has a very high-level knowledge of Formula One, he knows a lot of people, and I'm sure he will support us in developing the team faster and better. That's all.”

When questioned about Briatore's lack of apology for Crashgate, Famin remained steadfast, saying, “I'm looking ahead, not backwards.”

Alpine’s F1 team has faced significant challenges, attributed to years of mismanagement and frequent changes in senior personnel, resulting in a competitive decline this season. Famin asserted: “The target is to make the team better as soon as possible, and with the knowledge, the influence, the network of Flavio, it's an asset, and we are using all available assets to make the team stronger.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, among the team principals queried about Briatore’s return, expressed his belief in second chances. “I think we need to give a chance to recover from the situations,” Wolff commented. “I have known Flavio as an extremely smart businessman. He has a lot of know-how in Formula One. Every input that I got over the last 10-plus years that I have been in much more contact, and I have a friendly relationship with him, was in a way helpful.”

Wolff continued, “There is a lot of experience and expertise, 40 years of Formula One, and I think everybody deserves the opportunity to come back. For sure, having another clever mind in Alpine, someone that is able to simplify things and apply common sense is, where Alpine today is, a benefit.”

Similarly, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur described Briatore’s appointment as “a step forward for Alpine.” Vasseur added, “It’s good for F1 at the end if Alpine is coming back into the fight. We know the story, and I think he paid the price for this. If now he's allowed to come back, he can come back.”

Crashgate was one of F1’s most notorious scandals, orchestrated by Briatore and Renault’s then-technical director Pat Symonds, who instructed driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash, aiding Fernando Alonso’s race strategy. The plot was exposed a year later when Piquet Jr., having fallen out of favor with the team, disclosed the incident to the FIA.

Symonds, who also received a lifetime ban overturned on appeal, has since worked with Williams and F1 itself. Currently, he serves as the special advisor to Andretti’s F1 bid.

As Briatore reintegrates into the F1 world, the focus for Alpine and the broader community remains firmly on future possibilities rather than past controversies.

Up Next