Alpine joined the Formula 1 grid in 2021 with massive visions which seemed achievable considering the French outfit flaunted one of the best driver pairs on the grid – Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. And unsurprisingly, Laurent Rossi and Co. enjoyed a dreamy start to their new journey, including an impeccable race victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
However, their title-winning dream was squandered in no time, as Alonso’s departure triggered a spiral effect leading to a horror phase in 2023 and 2024. Despite signing Pierre Gasly as the two-time world champion’s replacement, things haven’t gone well for the French outfit. To add to their misery, Alpine’s technical department has been rather poor this season, with A524 proving to be one of the worst-performing cars on the grid.
Hence, in the hopes of rekindling their title-winning dream, Alpine has announced the signing of the infamous ex-team boss Flavio Briatore. The Frenchman was inarguably one of the most ruthless team principals and talent scouts on the grid back in the day. He joined forces with Alonso to win the world championship titles in 2005 and 2006. Briatore has also worked with other world champions like Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button.
🚨 | Renault appoints Flavio Briatore as the Executive Advisor for the Alpine F1 team. #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/iKgdJjAlaZ
— Motorsport Hour (@MotorsportHour) June 21, 2024
But, his reputation suffered a huge blow in 2009 when Nelson Piquet Jr. exposed Briatore’s ugly ploy at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The Brazilian made some storming revelations including the fact that his crash wasn’t a mistake but a well-planned execution to help Alonso win the race. After a series of trials, the FIA imposed an indefinite ban on Briatore from Formula 1.
New Alpine member Briatore still banned from F1?
The answer is no. The high court of France lifted Briatore’s ban in 2011. However, Briatore refused to return to Formula 1 for the next 12 years until of course, Alpine offered him an advisory role within the team. Alpine has confirmed that Briatore will return to his former team as the technical advisor.
Here’s the statement:
“BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division. Briatore will predominantly focus on top level areas of the team including: scouting top talents and providing insights on the driver market, challenging the existing project by assessing the current structure and advising on some strategic matters within the sport.”
Overall, this could be a significant boost for Alpine, a signing that might actually pay off. Hence, is this the start of Alpine’s race to glory?
Sara Chavan