Flavio Briatore makes a comeback to Formula 1.
Formula 1: Briatore Stirs the Pot, Highlights Monaco's Challenges and Alpine's Future
Flavio Briatore, the charismatic former champion maker, has returned to Formula 1 and, as always, is not shy about expressing his opinions. During a press conference before the Spanish Grand Prix, he touched on various topics, including Mick Schumacher, the unique nature of the Monaco Grand Prix, and the monotony of press conferences.
Regarding Mick Schumacher, Briatore, now the boss of the Alpine F1 team, appeared to express a performance-oriented mentality. He seemed slightly annoyed when questioned about a potential contract for Schumacher, who is currently driving for Alpine's endurance division and seeking a permanent F1 position. Briatore made no direct statement about Schumacher, but his approach suggests he evaluates all drivers based on performance.
On the matter of the Monaco Grand Prix, Briatore described it as a "very special race" but also criticized the qualifying session, stating it was "very boring and very annoying." He emphasized that the unique nature of Monaco is not conducive to evaluating driver performance in a "real" race.
Briatore's frank style carried over to his comments on press conferences, expressing frustration about their boredom and monotony—a sentiment particularly evident during the event in Monaco. His refreshingly candid approach, characterized by bluntness and a focus on performance, was appreciated by Christian Horner, the team boss of Red Bull, who described the press conferences as "boring" before Briatore's return.
The focus at Alpine seems to shift towards restructuring and experimentation in preparation for 2026 and beyond. Briatore's return, as well as his comments, signals a change in approach, with declaring 2025 as the year for such developments.
Sources: ntv.de, sue/dpa
- Keywords: Flavio Briatore, Mick Schumacher, Monaco Grand Prix, Alpine F1, Press conference, Performance-oriented mentality, 2025 restructuring
The Formula 1 team boss, Flavio Briatore, showed a performance-oriented mentality regarding Mick Schumacher, Alpine's driver, during a press conference before the Spanish Grand Prix. Briatore, returned to Formula 1, expressed his displeasure about the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session, finding it "boring and very annoying," as it doesn't provide a realistic evaluation of driver performance in sports like Formula 1.
