Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore recently found his way back into Formula 1 after a long hiatus, and what he’s found in the paddock has surprised even him.
The flamboyant Italian, who famously led Benetton and later Renault to multiple World Championships, has been tasked with helping Alpine revive its foortunes, a role he assumed at the behest of Groupe Renault CEO, Luca de Meo.
As Briatore readjusts to life in the paddock, he has been struck by the significant changes in the social dynamics of the sport—changes that were vividly illustrated during a recent encounter with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner at the Belgian Grand Prix.
In a candid discussion with former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan on the latter’s ‘Formula for Success’ podcast, Briatore reflected on the stark differences between the F1 of today and the sport he once called home.
At Spa-Francorchamps, Briatore was overseeing the debut of Alpine’s new motorhome, a luxurious hospitality unit designed by renowned architect Philippe Starck, which quickly became the talk of the paddock.
“We had the new motorhome at Spa,” Briatore said. “It’s called the Alpine motorhome, Alpine as in the mountains, kind of like a chalet, done by Phillippe Starck.
“Everybody was curious because it’s looking completely different inside. It’s like you are really there in Courchevel or somewhere, so everyone was curious.”
The motorhome's unique design caught the eye of many, including Christian Horner, who requested a tour of the new facility. The ensuing conversation between Briatore and Horner revealed just how much the landscape of F1 has shifted since Briatore's heyday.
“So Christian called me, asking me ‘Flavio, can I come and see your motorhome?’
“I told him ‘Absolutely’, and we spent 20 or 30 minutes together. We had a coffee, and Christian told me it was the first time in many years he had seen another motorhome in Formula 1!”
Briatore’s comment underscored a broader observation by the 74-year-old about how the camaraderie among team principals has diminished over the years.
Reflecting on the 1990s, the Italian shared memories of a time when rival team bosses would frequently visit each other’s motorhomes, exchange jokes, and even organize social events together.
“So basically, at the time with Eddie, I’d go to his motorhome, and he’d come in my motorhome. We’d go to the motorhome of Ferrari.” he said.
“Excluding [McLaren boss] Ron Dennis - I’d never go to the motorhome of Ron Dennis – the team principals had a super relationship. I remember we had the party at Maranello with Luca [di Montezemelo – Ferrari chairman]. We had lunch and it was much more friendly the situations between team principals.”
Briatore reminisced about a bygone era where fierce on-track competition was balanced by off-track friendships.
“Now, it’s completely different. We were always fighting together because we wanted to win, we wanted to have a better car, and we wanted to have everything.
“But I believe it was more human, I don’t know, we were much more human respect and what the people are looking at now is only technical, only business, only this and that.”
The Italian admitted that the current environment, which he perceives as more focused on business and technology, feels markedly different.
However, he remained uncertain about whether these changes were for the better or worse.
“I believe we can come back to this friendly situation, Stefano [Domenicali - F1 CEO] is doing the best because Stefano tries all the time to organise dinner and meetings with the people, but the feeling is different,” he said.
“We had a joke, we spent time together – holiday, no holiday. Now I believe it’s completely different. I don’t know if it’s better or worse, but it is different.”
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
