Flavio Briatore, a top advisor at Alpine, and Fernando Alonso have a successful history together from their time at Renault. The Spaniard won two consecutive titles with the French racing team in 2005 and 2006. He has been chasing his coveted third championship for some time now, but without success. Briatore praises the 44-year-old driver for his dedication and criticizes the way Alonso is sometimes portrayed in the media.
After his two world titles, Alonso gained somewhat of a negative reputation. The intense rivalry with McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton was possibly the main cause. In 2008, the crashgate scandal at Renault followed, resulting in Briatore being banned from Formula 1. Both veterans have since found their place back in the sport – the Italian is once again playing a leading role at Alpine, while Alonso aims to lead Aston Martin to their first title.
However, the negative reporting about Alonso still bothers Briatore. In an interview with ESPN, he reflected on the impressive career of the Spanish star, which now spans 22 seasons. “Sometimes it is said in the media that Alonso is difficult to manage,” said Briatore. “But that’s nonsense. It makes me really angry when I hear this. Fernando has always been a team player. He promotes good cooperation; we see this again at Aston Martin.”
“The car may not be competitive, but he is always there, he keeps pushing,” Briatore assured. “He’s like a rottweiler – always present. You can try to escape, but a rottweiler always catches you. That’s Fernando and that’s how he wants to win.” Yet Alonso also realizes that his Formula 1 career is coming to an end. At Aston Martin, he sees opportunities to fight for the title in 2026. In a recent interview, he admitted that if he can still compete for the World Championship next year, he will hang up his racing suit afterwards.
