Flavio Briatore's return to the Formula One world in 2024 triggered two reactions from fans. For long-time viewers, the Briatore name is synonymous with admiration and controversy, and an almost-audible "really?!" echoed through the air. For those whose interest in F1 came more recently, Briatore's arrival barely merited a shrug. After all, what's another random rich guy in a sport bursting at the seams with the top 0.1%? Then, Drive to Survive Season 7 launched.
Briatore's portrayal in the show was almost cartoonish, although not necessarily incorrect. The James Bond villain aura made Christian Horner and Toto Wolff seem like playground bullies, and for good reason.
Known for his flamboyant personality, sharp business acumen, and even sharper tongue, Briatore is a pivotal figure in the sport's history. His tenure with Benetton and Renault brought world championships in the past. Yet, as Netflix's docudrama suggested, Briatore's success is tempered by scandal. So, who is this enigmatic man and why is he back in F1?
Early Life
Born on April 12th, 1950, in Verzuolo, Italy, Briatore's journey to reach F1 was anything but conventional. Although his later life features supercars and yachts, those weren't part of his childhood. Instead, it was hard work and hustle for Briatore. Here was a young man who wanted to escape his modest hometown. He worked as an insurance salesman and a ski instructor to start that journey.
The business mind grew when Briatorie opened a restaurant in Cuneo, 30 minutes from his hometown. Named the Tribula, the project failed, but Briatore's time striving to succeed had begun. Even the name Tribula exemplified this. Tribula was Briatore's nickname from an earlier job. It described a restless young man eager to get what he wanted.
Moving to Milan, Briatore's own shady practices came to light. His latest company, Compagnia Generale Industriale (General Industrial Company), went bankrupt, and the authorities convicted Briatore of fraud in 1984.
Then the police found that Briatore was a con man pretending to be a record producer. He and his partners had rigged gambling games to part wealthy marks from their cash. The eventual operation bust saw another fraud conviction in 1986.
A New Life
Briatore moved to the Virgin Islands to avoid prison. Without the threat of extradition, the Italian used his Milanese connections to forge a new start. Luciano Benetton, one of the United Colors of Benetton founders, had recruited Briatore. Heading up the group's American expansion, Briatore brought hundreds of franchises to the USA while a fugitive of Italy.
With Briatore receiving amnesty for his convictions, that business growth led to Luciano Benetton moving the Italian to their recent project: the Benetton Formula 1 Team. The company sponsored the Toleman team throughout the 1980s. By 1986, they owned them after a buyout. Benetton brought Briatore in during the 1988 season as the Commercial Director. He'd end up running the entire outfit by 1989's end.
Benetton's belief in Briatore's business brilliance soon turned results around on track. Before his arrival, the team had occasional podiums and a solitary win. That changed in Briatore's years, primarily because of his hunter-like instinct to pursue one driver – Michael Schumacher.
Finding the Front
Schumacher didn't start life at Benetton. The legendary German's first F1 start came with Jordan at the 1991 Belgian GP. Replacing Jordan's Bertrand Gachot, who, fittingly for this story, was imprisoned, Schumacher impressed everyone in the paddock. Briatore was the admirer who smelled an opportunity. The no-frills businessman promptly signed the 22-year-old before the next race.
As with all things Briatore, Schumacher's signature wasn't without incident. Jordan had an 'agreement in principle' with their star, but Briatore bulldozed through to get his man. After losing the subsequent court case, Ron Dennis, Briatore's equivalent at McLaren, infamously told Jordan, "Welcome to the piranha club."
Schumacher and Briatore found great success together, beginning with the 1994 championship win. Again, though, it wasn't as simple as it might be. For one, Schumacher had collided with his championship challenger in the final race to clinch the title. Additionally, the team was fighting off cheating accusations regarding illegal traction control and refueling systems. A pit lane blaze in Jos Verstappen's car literally threw fuel on the fire. Nonetheless, a very 'Briatore title' came Schumacher's way.
The pair took both the Drivers' and Constructors' championships in 1995, but Schumacher left the squad. After dropping from the top in 1996, Briatore spent time in the F1 wilderness from 1997. He had moved from leading a team to engine supply and driver management. Inevitably, he'd soon return to the spotlight.
The Rise of Renault
Renault was the engine supplier to have in the 1990s. The French manufacturer returned to F1 as a constructor at the turn of the century. They brought Briatore on to lead the project, and his ruthlessness came with him. Calling driver Jenson Button a 'lazy playboy,' Briatore got rid of the Briton to replace him with his own protégé for 2003.
Lightning struck twice for Briatore. After identifying Schumacher's talent from one qualifying session, he signed a teenage Fernando Alonso. Bringing the Spaniard to Renault for 2003, Alonso repaid the faith by bagging pole in his second outing.
As with the Schumacher partnership, Briatore steered Renault and Alonso to two title years. 2005 saw them beat Kimi Raikkonen, while 2006 saw a season-long scrap against Schumacher. Alonso left the team in 2007, and the results dived. A solitary podium came that year, but Alonso would return for 2008. As you might expect, though, more controversy was not far away.
F1 Expulsion
Alonso's return did not spark a return to the title-fighting times but brought drama. Renault's involvement in the infamous 'Spygate' scandal saw the team guilty of possessing details of McLaren's cars. Despite them escaping any punishment, Alonso's long-awaited win in Singapore that year brought more unwanted attention.
Alonso won the race courtesy of a Safety Car's timing after teammate Nelson Piquet Jr crashed. There was no outcry at the time. However, that changed when Briatore dropped the Brazilian racer the following season. Piquet Jr revealed Briatore instructed him to crash to help Alonso win. The resulting outcry led to Briatore's downfall.
Accused of conspiracy and race fixing, Renault quickly announced Briatore had resigned. Their swift action saved the FIA from banning the constructor, but Briatore would not be as fortunate. The governing body indefinitely barred him from F1 and other FIA activities. His racing time was seemingly over.
Bringing Briatore Back
Sueing the FIA through the French courts, Briatore successfully had his ban overturned. Nonetheless, the Italian wouldn't immediately return to the sport. He remained away from F1 for 15 years, but in 2024 had his name back at Renault. Alpine, Renault's new name in the F1 championship, would recruit him, and he soon made waves.
Titled the 'Executive Advisor,' it soon became clear Briatore had more sway than just in an advisory capacity. He reduced the workforce numbers and dropped driver Esteban Ocon from the team one race before his contract expired. Can Briatore win titles in a very different F1 era? It's a fascinating thread to follow in a sport already brimming with subplots.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Briatore's personal life has been as colorful as his professional one. His relationships with high-profile figures, including supermodels Heidi Klum and Naomi Campbell, show his attraction to glamour. Briatore was even the man to impress in Italy's single season of The Apprentice. He also bought an English football team and owns a 232ft luxury yacht, further adding to his flashy mystique.
Briatore remains one of the most intriguing figures in F1. No matter whether he finds success again, there is something fans can count on – he'll try to win no matter the cost. Flavio Briatore will always be a captivating, complex individual whose drive is not to survive but to thrive.
