Flavio Briatore has made a triumphant return to Formula 1. After achieving success with Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, the flamboyant Italian was brought back into the fold at Alpine last year. He now holds the position of team boss once again. In a candid interview with Corriere della Sera, Briatore reflected on his tumultuous Formula 1 past, denying any involvement in the crashgate scandal that initially seemed to end his career.
Flavio Briatore wielded the scepter at Benetton and later Renault for many years. With legendary drivers like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, he won multiple world titles. However, Briatore is also known for his alleged role in the crashgate scandal. In 2008, he was accused of instructing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to deliberately crash during the Singapore Grand Prix. The subsequent safety car helped teammate Alonso secure the victory. Briatore received a lifetime ban, although this was later annulled by a French court.
Briatore suggested that he was, in fact, the victim of a crashgate conspiracy. When Corriere della Sera asked him if he still had contact with Piquet Jr. — the person who brought the scandal to light — he replied, “No, and I don’t care.” Confronted with his alleged role in the scandal, he responded, “I never spoke to him (Piquet Jr.).” Briatore emphasized that his ban had been legally overturned: “The French court annulled my punishment and awarded symbolic damages.”
‘I was tired after crashgate’
“It’s a coincidence that Max Mosley, the FIA president who suspended me, is also the one who previously suspended Michael Schumacher,” added Briatore. He then spoke about the period after his abrupt departure: “When I left, I was tired. I had won everything, discovered talents. Formula 1 was no longer a passion for me, it had become just another job. Moreover, my wife could give birth to our son Falco at any moment – I wanted to be there for that.”
As for the ongoing criticism, especially about crashgate, Briatore remains indifferent. “I let such things slide off me easily,” he said calmly. “I always think: ‘Those who criticize me are worse off than I am.’ Money gives you freedom – and not everyone has that.”
