Experiences within the Italian and French media counsel that Flavio Briatore is in talks to take cost of struggling Alpine workforce.
Corriere dello Sport and L’Equipe each declare that the previous Renault boss has had preliminary talks with Renault with a view to taking cost of the F1 challenge which at current seems to move from one catastrophe to a different.
Briatore was appointed to run the Benetton F1 workforce by the clothes empire’s founder, Luciano Benetton, in 1990, and continued to run the Enstone outfit when it was purchased by Renault in 2002.
A controversial, flamboyant determine he guided the workforce to world championship titles with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso – whom he nonetheless manages – till he was fired for his involvement in 2008’s Crashgate saga.
Initially banned from all FIA-sanctioned motorsport the ban was subsequently overturned.
Away from F1 his enterprise empire contains the Billionaire model together with seashore golf equipment in Tuscany and Kenya and a restaurant in London. Between 2007 and 2007 he was additionally co-owner of a pharmaceutical firm.
Earlier this 12 months he had coronary heart surgical procedure to take away a benign tumour, which he subsequently revealed to have been “completely profitable”.
Virtually from the second Renault repackaged as Alpine at first of 2021 the Enstone-based outfit has struggled, what with dropping the likes of Alonso and an upcoming younger driver by the title of Oscar Piastri, to not point out virtually fixed reshuffling of its administration and senior technical employees.
The unique five-year plan a distant reminiscence, the French outfit solely not too long ago opened its 2024 factors account, and nonetheless sits tenth within the standings with simply 2 factors to its title.
Simply as one may assume issues could not get a lot worse, on Sunday Esteban Ocon collided along with his teammate and is now heading to Canada with a 5-place grid penalty and the specter of being dropped by the French workforce which is already set to lose Pierre Gasly at season finish additionally.
Apart from a poor automotive, the French workforce suffers from an under-powered Renault engine, which has been shunned by these groups reliant on buyer offers.
In accordance with Corriere, Renault feels that nothing wanting a whole overhaul is required at Enstone, although some really feel that the workforce is already on the stage the place it wants – what Mohammed ben Sulayem may confer with as – “refreshing”.
Whereas the return of the Flav would convey some a lot wanted color to the paddock one can not assist however really feel that Alpine is already previous saving and even when it had been potential would require Renault dipping deep into its pockets.
Then once more… if the French producer had been to be prepared to splash the money, how’s about Flav in cost, Fernando and Carlos Sainz driving and Adrian Newey doing the designing?
Thoughts you, they will neglect Coca-Cola as a sponsor!
