Flavio Briatore has made a triumphant return to Formula One. The former team principal of Benetton and Renault F1, now Alpine F1, has been appointed as Alpine F1’s “executive advisor.” The primary role of an executive advisor is to provide guidance, strategic insights, and decision-making. Briatore recently dismissed his critics with a blunt “f..k off.”
For those who need a reminder, Briatore was appointed team principal of Benetton F1 in 1990. Before F1 Briatore maintained very close ties to the Benetton family, which boasts a net worth of $2.7 billion. The Benetton conglomerate itself is valued at $12.1 billion.
Briatore was known for his bold and ruthless approach in F1, handling team operations like he wielded a Walter PPK. He notably secured Michael Schumacher from the Jordan F1 team in 1991. With the arrival of Tom Walkinshaw and Ross Brawn in 1992, the team’s engineering prowess and competitiveness soared to new heights, and the rest is history.
Renault acquired Benetton in 2000, retaining Briatore until 2009 when he was ousted for his involvement in ordering Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to hand victory to teammate Fernando Alonso. Facing severe repercussions from the FIA, led by Max Mosley, Briatore received an indefinite lifetime ban.
Welcome To The Caribbean
Briatore appealed the ban in French courts and successfully overturned it, but his reputation suffered irreparably. This wasn’t the first time Briatore faced such scrutiny; earlier in his career, he spent over a decade as a fugitive fleeing his native Italy after being convicted of a number of fraud cases.
During his fugitive status, Briatore relocated to the Caribbean and established Benetton retail franchises in the Caribbean and Americas, amassing significant wealth. Fast forward to 2024, 15 years after his ban, he has returned to Formula One, a move widely criticized.
Friendship Comes Before Transparency
During a recent media interview, F1 team bosses appeared to welcome the return of Briatiore. Toto Wolff, who champions transparency in F1, did not apply this principle to Briatore’s return, suggesting the sport values intellect over openness. Many of the current team principals personally know Briatore, reflecting F1’s prioritization of personal connections over transparency.
One might assume Briatore’s return was spurred by personal friendships; the current CEO of Renault is Italian, hinting at possible corporate nepotism behind the appointment. Despite this, the future of Alpine F1 likely lies beyond Briatore, given his age of 74. The team must look to a new generation of leaders.
While I personally oppose his return—believing a ban is a ban—I somewhat understand Renault’s decision. Perhaps Alpine F1 seeks Briatore’s brash, ego-driven management style, devoid of stakeholder management or MBAs with their obsessive data-driven efficiency.
Maybe Alpine F1 needs an old-fashioned kick up the arse from someone who dismisses mental well-being initiatives as belonging to a superfluous cult. Perhaps they crave an unapologetically forceful approach. Yet, Briatore’s presence remains baffling and concerning.
F1: The Big Boys Club
Large blue-chip corporations spend vast amounts promoting an idealized version of themselves, prioritizing compassion and ethics in a quest to sell a vision that doesn’t exist. Brand management, right? But in this case, Renault has opened the curtains to reveal not a wizard, but Flavio Briatore—older, but none the wiser.
Briatore’s return proves beyond doubt that inclusion, diversity, and more women in F1 are mere buzzwords, red meat to satisfy the broader public. In reality, F1 is, and always will be, a big boys’ club.
