Flavio Briatore, is an Italian entrepreneur and ambassador of the top motoring category, from which he was disbarred for life after the crashgate of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
A man who won the world championships in F1 (with Schumacher and Alonso), was removed from the track but who despite this is always very close to the microphones, ready to have his say. He spoke to the newspaper "Il Riformista" about the hot topics, in particular about Ferrari and the delicate phase that the team is going through.
The only predestined is the third title of Max and…
Briatore has the world situation clear, and he who has won some World Cups , already says Max's name next to the word champion 2023 very confidently. Without even naming his teammate Sergio Perez, just 14 points behind the Dutchman. "Red Bull is doing a separate championship, Max has strength and style, the world championship is already his, they're going strong because they work better (than Ferrari) together".
And it is with even greater admiration that he quotes Adrian Newey, defining it “the only true genius”.
After twenty years of experience on the pit wall, although it hurts the heart, it's hard not to trust Briatore.
Favorite student
After winning two World Cups together, and having ended up together in the various controversies that arose, some very recent, (Massa wants the 2008 world championship back), Briatore could not resist the temptation to talk about Fernando Alonso and the surprising Aston Martin.
The prowess of Gaydon's stable? Having "raided" Red Bull and Mercedes. The technical director is in fact Dan Fallows, a former Red Bull joined by Eric Blandin, former Mercedes.
"That's why I pushed Fernando to join Aston Martin, who is now even ahead of Ferrari"
Briatore and Ferrari
When asked about Ferrari, Briatore harshly condemned the red, describing what is clear to everyone, therefore A far behind car that has countless problems. He criticizes the too promising and false communication that the team usually adopts before the start of the season. It greatly raises the expectations of the fans "You have to do the first race and then see" , the words of the entrepreneur.
Ferrari's name and history remain important, but"he can't afford to say 'next year' for fifteen years, he can't stand it”. He also rages on Ferrari's laxity: “In 2022 it started very well, but then the Federation changed the regulations [...] . If it had been me driving the red, I would never have allowed it. Ferrari's policy must be incisive"
Exonerate Vasseur who is only one piece of the puzzle in Maranello.
Between the two pilots? Briatore seems to have never abandoned his passion for the Spanish, in fact he goes too far when talking about Ferrari guides:
"Charles Leclerc, as we also saw in Miami, he's not competitive, unlike his teammate Carlos Sainz who defended well"
“Domenicali is brilliant”
Couldn't miss the question about new format experienced at the Baku Grand Prix, which the Piedmontese entrepreneur defined as a panacea for sport. "You get out of bed in the morning if you have a goal, before Friday the riders only needed to give data to the team, now they go out to score points. and for viewers it is much more interesting" . Briatore is a fan of this F1 that changes and adapts to the times and the market.
“Domenicali is doing well even if not with little difficulty, the teams must follow him. F1 is like a ministry, it needs time to change things."
Briatore speaks as a great connoisseur of this sport, but who knows which uniform he wears, whether that of an enthusiast or an entrepreneur.
