Alpine has made a surprising announcement that former Renault Team Principal and orchestrator of the controversial Crashgate scandal, Flavio Briatore, will be rejoining the Enstone-based Formula 1 team as Executive Advisor. The appointment comes as Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo seeks to scout promising talents and gain insights into the driver market. Briatore’s role will also involve assessing the current structure and providing strategic advice within the sport, as stated in the press release by Alpine.
The decision to bring Briatore back into the fold has been in the works for some time, with reports suggesting that de Meo had been pursuing him for several weeks. However, this move is likely to raise eyebrows within the Alpine team and the wider Formula 1 community. Under Liberty Media’s ownership, the series has been striving to improve its reputation and move away from the controversies associated with figures like Briatore.
During his previous tenure as the head of the team when it was known as Benetton, Briatore faced accusations of cheating in their successful 1994 championship campaign. The team was alleged to have used traction control, a forbidden system according to the technical regulations. Although no concrete evidence was found to support these claims, Briatore’s involvement in the Crashgate scandal remains his most notorious act.
In 2008, Briatore orchestrated a plan to have his driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, deliberately crash during the Singapore Grand Prix. This strategic move was intended to benefit his teammate, Fernando Alonso, by creating a favorable situation through a timely deployment of the safety car. When the scandal was exposed in 2009, Briatore received a lifetime ban from the sport. However, he successfully challenged this ban in court the following year, ultimately clearing the way for his return to the team after a 14-year absence.
Alpine has recently implemented a policy of frequent changes in its leadership team due to a significant decline in performance. In 2023, former Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer, and Sporting Director Alan Permane were all dismissed, while former Chief Technical Officer Pat Fry decided to leave the team and join Williams. Bruno Famin took over as Team Principal last summer, but more changes occurred at the beginning of the 2024 season when it was revealed that Alpine had an overweight and uncompetitive car. As a result, Technical Director Matt Harman and Head of Aerodynamics Dirk de Beer left shortly after the season started, and a new three-pronged technical structure was established. This technical structure is now headed by David Sanchez, a former employee of McLaren and Ferrari. Despite these changes, Alpine’s tumultuous season continues, with further departures such as Bob Bell, who left his advisory role to join Aston Martin, and long-serving Operations Director Rob White. So far, the team has only managed to score five points in the first nine events. With Briatore now having some influence in the team, it is anticipated that more changes will occur in the Alpine hierarchy as the controversial Italian seeks to strengthen his position within the organization.