From Pariah to Big Boss: The Controversial Return of Puppeteer Briatore in F1
Remarkable Rebound of Ex-Stripper Briatore
Get ready for some high-octane racing action with Flavio Briatore back in the Formula 1 arena! The man behind the infamous "Crashgate" scandal is back, taking the reins as team principal at Alpine. After being deemed untouchable for several years, Briatore is back baby, and he's got his sights set on turning the fortunes around for the ambitious yet ailing Alpine team.
Following the departure of team principal Oliver Oakes, Briatore stepped up to the plate and didn't waste time making waves. He drove the team to restructure their driver lineup, replacing underperforming rookie Jack Doohan with reserve driver Franco Colapinto. The Argentine Colapinto, who's rumored to bring in sponsorship worth tens of millions, will have five races to prove himself as the second driver alongside experienced Pierre Gasly.
Many have speculated about this driver swap since Colapinto's signing, if not outright expected it. The 21-year-old drove nine races for Williams last season, some of which were impressive. But Briatore's return to the head of a Formula 1 racing team is what really has everyone talking.
After all, the bon vivant, who was Michael Schumacher's Benetton team principal during his 1994 and 1995 world championship wins, is responsible for creating the biggest storm in Formula 1 history — the "Crashgate" scandal.
During the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, then-Renault team principal Briatore and his technical chief, Pat Symonds, orchestrated a deliberately engineered crash by driver Nelson Piquet Junior. The move was designed to trigger a safety car deployment, strategically benefiting Alonso, who went on to win the race. The move was heavily criticized as a form of cheating and led to a significant controversy. Investigations revealed that the crash was planned by Renault team management, and Briatore was subsequently banned for life from the sport by the FIA.
But Briatore refused to be driven out of Formula 1. He fought back with a court eventually declaring his ban invalid. In 2025, Renault CEO Luca de Meo welcomed the controversial figure back into the Formula 1 circus.
Source: ntv.de, dbe/sid
Formula 1
- Michael Schumacher
- Alpine
- Michael Schumacher previously worked under Flavio Briatore, who is now back as team principal at Alpine in Formula 1.
- The surprising return of Briatore, infamous for the "Crashgate" scandal, has been instrumental in Alpine's driver lineup changes, with Franco Colapinto replacing Jack Doohan as the second driver alongside Pierre Gasly.
- Despite having been banned for life from Formula 1 after the "Crashgate" scandal, Briatore, the man who mastermind the deliberate crash of Nelson Piquet Junior during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, has returned to Formula 1 with Alpine.
