Italian outlet Corriere della Serra and French newspaper L’Equipe have reported that the 74-year-old has been tapped up by Renault CEO Luca De Meo to grow to be a particular advisor to assist the squad flip round its fortunes.
Reportedly, his function would entail serving to the staff’s recruitment drive to bolster its Enstone headquarters and its engine plant at Viry-Chatillon fairly than a extra hands-on function.
Alpine has declined to both verify or deny Briatore’s arrival, issuing the next assertion: “As a staff, we’re in frequent contact with quite a few business consultants in pursuit of enhancing total efficiency.
“We contemplate all related inputs and, when applicable, search recommendation from folks with expertise and former success. We can not touch upon any particular person issues.”
If Briatore’s arrival is certainly confirmed, it’s certain to trigger some unease in sure quarters.
The previous Benetton and Renault staff principal, who was on the helm when Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso loved their double championship wins with the squad, served a paddock ban for his main function within the 2008 Singapore ‘Crashgate’ scandal.
That lifetime ban was overturned in 2013, with the Italian an everyday customer since then. He attended final week’s Monaco Grand Prix and was seen within the firm of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali earlier than Sunday’s race.
Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso, Renault F1 Workforce rejoice victory in parc fermé
Photograph by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photographs
Alpine has gone by way of a turbulent 10 months, beginning with De Meo’s removing of name CEO Laurent Rossi, rapidly adopted by the departure of staff principal Otmar Szafnauer and long-time sporting director Alan Permane forward of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
The staff then went in a improper design route through the improvement of its 2024 challenger, which noticed it begin the season properly off the tempo after ending sixth final yr.
Because of this, each technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer left the outfit in March.
Of their stead, interim staff boss Bruno Famin created a McLaren-like three-pronged technical construction, snapping up the Woking outfit’s David Sanchez as its overarching tech chief.
Alpine has been making some progress in latest weeks, shifting from the rear of the grid to a place within the midfield the place it could take the struggle to the likes of Haas and Williams.
Alex Albon, Williams FW46, leads Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524, and Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
In Monaco, Pierre Gasly scored the staff’s second level of the marketing campaign, surviving a controversial conflict with team-mate Esteban Ocon.
However there was loads of discuss that Renault Group CEO De Meo stays pissed off with the staff’s lack of outcomes and is eager to shake issues up additional. Bringing again a controversial determine like Briatore will surely do this.
These rumours floor within the wake of studies that a number of potential patrons are enthusiastic about buying the Enstone staff, together with Chinese language producer Geely.
Alpine has all the time maintained the staff isn’t on the market. “The rumours and tales concerning the staff being on the market are false. The staff is categorically not on the market,” it mentioned final month.
