In this insightful and provocatively candid Op-Ed, a seasoned Formula One enthusiast and former contributor to our website shares a unique perspective that departs from traditional race analysis.

Known for his in-depth knowledge and passion for the sport, this writer chooses to delve into a more controversial subject – his admiration for Flavio Briatore.

 

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My guilty pleasure

By Carlo

Now, traditionally, I try and write about an upcoming race or the one that has just passed; but there has been so much happening in recent months that I feel I need to make comment on certain points.

Flavio Briatore…. I really like him.

He’s like my guilty pleasure. And in a similar vein – undoubtedly much to many’s chagrin – I have always had a soft spot for the 2012 Spanish GP winner as well…

Oh dear, I can hear the vitriol now.

Look, I’m a big boy now. I have written a number of articles over the years which I know many have enjoyed. As with anything in life you will also have detractors – many of whom make little effort to hide their feelings.

I always find it slightly disappointing that these online critics do not have the conviction of their beliefs and furnish us, the readers, with an opportunity to dissect their meandering contributions. C’est la vie, I guess…

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Briatore: The pantomime villain

Anyway, to use another cliché, I digress! Back to Mr Briatore. It would not be stretching anyone’s imagination to suggest that Briatore has ruffled a few feathers within the F1 paddock. From the late 80’s when he was tasked with turning the fortunes of the Benetton team around – to the present day – it appears that he breeds resentment amongst his peers.

By all accounts. Luca de Montezemolo – the former President of Ferrari – couldn’t abide him. Similarly, both Ron Dennis and Frank Williams had little time for this upstart.

In many ways, having come into F1 from a non-racing background and delegating the critical tasks of the team to the engineers – Briatore demolished the notion that you had to breathe F1 to succeed. Titles for Michael Schumacher – and a decade later for Fernando Alonso – proved his modus operandi.

Of course, modern sentiment would portray Flavio as the pantomime villain. After all, it was ‘proven’ that – in collusion with Pat Symonds – the Italian asked Mr Piquet Jnr to crash deliberately in Singapore back in 2008 to allow Alonso the victory.

Although it does beg the question why didn’t either of the Piquet clan refuse as it was unsporting behaviour? I’ll leave that for another time!

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Background to ‘Crashgate’

From the Ed – For those not familiar with the Singapore 2008 controversy, a little background: 

At the centre of ‘Crashgate’ was Nelson Piquet Jr, a driver for the Renault team. Piquet deliberately crashed his car on the instructions of certain senior members of the team, including team principal Flavio Briatore and technical director Pat Symonds. This act was not the result of driver error or mechanical failure, but a calculated move to manipulate the outcome of the race.

The reason for this deliberate crash was to give Piquet’s team mate, Fernando Alonso, an advantage. Earlier in the race, Alonso had made an unusually early pit stop for fuel and tyres. This strategy would probably have relegated him to a lower position – until Piquet’s crash brought out the safety car. The use of the safety car usually leads to the closure of the pit lane and dramatically slows down the field, allowing drivers who have already pitted to gain a significant advantage.

In this case, the timing of the safety car after Piquet’s crash was ideal for Alonso. It effectively negated the disadvantage of his early pit stop and catapulted him up the order as others pitted. Unaware of the premeditated plan, Alonso capitalised on this advantage and eventually won the race.

The truth behind the ‘Crashgate’ affair only came to light much later, after Piquet had left the team. Investigations revealed the extent of the pre-race planning and the deliberate nature of the crash. The revelations sent shockwaves through the Formula One community, with significant consequences for those involved. Flavio Briatore was banned from FIA sanctioned events (later overturned by a French court) and Pat Symonds was also banned (his ban was reduced on appeal) – Now back to Carlo…

 

 

 

 

Briatore: Resentment amongst the F1 glitterati

Other sources will allude to his time as owner of QPR before he sold a bum deal to Tony Fernandez – but Mr Ecclestone was Flavio’s partner…

But that’s acceptable of course, as Mr E is regarded as Mr F1 in the paddock. He has personally managed drivers during different eras, he took over control of the sport and made team bosses wealthy beyond their dreams. And perhaps most significantly he was a team owner with Brabham – he was part of the fraternity.

Let’s be honest, Briatore causes resentment amongst the F1 glitterati. Not only is he a hugely successful businessman who wears models on his arm – like the rest of us wear watches – but he makes F1 success look a trifle easy.

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Bureaucracy, not racing!

To the Luca, Ron and Franks of this world, that will never do. Yet possibly most damaging of all is that he makes sense of a world where the players have lost all sense of values.

“F1 is becoming increasingly difficult to follow, go back to basics and what really matters is the racing. There’s too many rules that don’t improve the show. We don’t need more technology…” said Briatore famously.

“The rules are so complex, even the journalists don’t quite understand how the engine sanctions work and that’s bureaucracy, not racing!

“The bosses have many meetings but these meetings only serve to set a date for the next meeting. They do nothing, they don’t agree on anything – including an intelligent direction for this sport!”

I scribbled this way back in 2016, some 8 years ago and still he makes more sense of F1 than any current participant.

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