Flavio Briatore might not be the most law-abiding of all F1 citizens, but he’s coming to Alpine’s help for sure! The Italian is back in Formula 1 after a long hiatus due to various controversies surrounding him. He was previously a part of Alpine’s old form, Renault, and then he got involved in the 2008 Singapore GP crashgate. Because of his race fixing, the then-Renault racer Nelson Piquet Jr. had crashed to help his teammate Fernando Alonso win. This caused Briatore to land a ban from F1.

But that is not all since Flavio Briatore also found himself in other hurdles too, found guilty of multiple charges. Then, the Italian left the EU for a stay in the Virgin Islands until his convictions were lifted. Despite being an outlaw, he has built F1 teams up from the ground. With his help, Benetton got Michael Schumacher over Jordan, and he also led Renault racer Fernando Alonso to get two Championships. Thus, now that Flavio Briatore is back, Renault has brought him into the team as a special advisor to its CEO Luca de Meo.

Just 2 years ago, Alpine had beaten McLaren to get the 4th place on the F1 Constructors’ grid. But now, the tables have turned as the papaya army is second only to Red Bull on the rankings. However, the French outfit is down in the third-last spot this season with only 11 points. But Esteban Ocon is leaving at the end of 2024, and Alpine can hire a new talent to salvage its Championship position next year. For this, Flavio Briatore has already started working hard.

And the first step in Briatore’s action plan has been to bat out all rumors about Ocon’s seat. Ex-Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner recalled an interview with the 74-year-old Renault advisor at the Belgian GP. Steiner said on ‘The Red Flags Podcast’, “We interviewed Flavio on the grid [at the Belgian GP] and my colleague Florian asked Flavio, is everybody in the race for that seat? He said, “Everybody.” That was his answer. So, I just have to repeat what Flavio told me. I have no opinion, Flavio will make the right choice.”

However, Flavio Briatore seems to be out of luck regarding Alpine’s hiring situation. This is because he had shown interest in Carlos Sainz previously (and now Sainz has joined Williams). So, what did Briatore say at that time?

Flavio Briatore once vowed to do “everything possible” to bring in Sainz

Hiring a hotshot racer to join his team is not something Flavio Briatore is not used to. The Italian had once roped in the German legend Michael Schumacher for Benetton despite a lucrative offer from Jordan. As Carlos Sainz‘s Ferrari deal is about to end this year, Briatore wanted to do the same with the Spaniard. Showing his interest in taking up the #55 racer, Flavio had said a month ago, “Incredibly he [Carlos Sainz] is still free, we are all willing to have him on the team and we will do everything possible.”

However, all of Flavio Briatore’s plans and plots to lure Carlos Sainz to Alpine seem to be in vain. The Spaniard announced he is joining Williams as Alex Albon‘s teammate next season only yesterday. This leaves no choice for Briatore but to consider some other racers in Sainz’s place to take up Esteban Ocon’s seat. Among the several options that are available to him, Michael Schumacher’s son Mick Schumacher might get his favor since Flavio has worked with Mick’s father.

With Flavio Briatore’s help, Alpine hopes to recruit a race with talent to match Pierre Gasly. If the Italian can bring in such a racer, the Enstone outfit will once again fight McLaren to take over the Papaya army’s spot in the Championships. Do you agree with Renault’s decision to allow Flavio to return to the team despite his past criminal records? Share your thoughts in the comments below.