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Nine months after storming back into the Alpine F1 fold, Flavio Briatore has revealed the one non-negotiable condition he demanded from Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo before agreeing to resurrect the Enstone squad.
The 74-year-old Italian, a polarizing maestro of F1’s past, returned in June 2024 after a 15-year exile, armed with a mission to drag Alpine out of the midfield mire.
With a legacy of seven titles from the Benetton and Renault glory days, Briatore made clear that his return wasn’t a sentimental stroll down memory lane, nor was he interested in a ceremonial role.
The flamboyant Italian’s F1 resume is a wild ride: banned over 2008’s ‘Crashgate’ scandal, yet revered for crafting championship dynasties, Alpine’s recent woes – management shake-ups and lackluster seasons – lured him back.
“This team, talking about Alpine, it’s the same team. It’s a Benetton team, a Renault team, an Alpine. You change the [colour of the] shirts, you change a little bit of the performance, but it is the same team,” he told Motorsport.com.
“After 15 years out of Formula 1, I followed some races watching on TV. So, one day I called Luca. I told him I felt so sorry to see the team in this condition, because it was my team.
“I created this team, I built in the factory and there were world championships won in this building.”
The Deal: Nothing Less Than Full Control
Briatore’s return wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment whim, but a gradual realization that emerged over several discussions between himself and de Meo.
“I wanted to do something. And we started talking on the phone,” he explained.
“One day we met in Paris, I was busy with my restaurant business – I had 1,200 employees and then 600, because I sold 50% of the business and I had a little more time.
“I just told Luca, let me see if it’s possible. If I still have the same book I had before, to put together this team. And we started talking but there was one condition, I wanted to be in charge completely.”
De Meo had to hand over the reins – or Briatore wasn’t the least bit interested.
A Glimmer of Hope, Grounded in Reality
While the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix saw Alpine achieve a double podium, a result that propelled them up the constructors standings, Briatore remained grounded.
“Without taking anything away from an incredible Ocon in the wet and a Gasly who did his job well, today we were also lucky,” he told Sky Italia at the time.”I think we have a car that is better in the wet. Unfortunately, I don’t think the next three races will be wet.
“But today we saw with all these young drivers presented as a new phenomena how much experience still counts in Formula 1.”
Now, just a week away from the start of the 2025 F1 season, Briatore is fully entrenched, wielding total control and a playbook that’s worked wonders before.
Alpine’s late-2024 surge hints at potential, but he’s not banking on rain dances. With his experience-first ethos, he’s betting on grit over glitz to restore Enstone’s shine.
Will it pay off? Time – and maybe a few dry races – will tell.
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