F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Briatore: 'The Americans should open their wallets'

Flamboyant former team manager Flavio Briatore chimed in on the subject of Liberty Media's takeover of Formula 1, offering his two cents on the deal and its prospects.

The Italian mogul, who was barred from working in F1 following his instigation, as Renault's team boss, of the infamous  'crash gate' episode in Singapore in 2008, labeled the recent deal, or at least its inception, as "very strange".

"They have paid only $700-million, the rest of the money will be when changes are made but no one is talking about the F1 product," Briatore said.

"Among the teams there will be a showdown, everything is to be reviewed but nobody cares about an F1 that no longer attracts and has strange rules that no one understands.

Briatoire considers that there will be a lot of transformational work and investment to be done for the takeover to succeed, and also said that Bernie Ecclestone should remain onboard.

"It's not a good platform when only one team wins and all the others lose. There are only three teams: now it's normal for Vettel to finish fifth from the last row.

"In my opinion, the Americans should open their wallets and try to fix the product. After that, they need to keep Bernie."

Quotes of the week - 2016 Singapore Grand Prix

2016 Singapore Grand Prix - Driver ratings

REPORT: Rosberg takes title lead after Singapore thriller 

Breakfast with ... Bernd Maylander

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.

Recent Posts

Sebastian Montoya steps up to Formula 2 with Prema

Sebastian Montoya, the 19-year-old son of former Formula 1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, is set…

9 hours ago

Sauber finds its ‘Northern Star’ under Binotto’s leadership

When former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto took on the role of Chief Operating Officer…

10 hours ago

Leclerc hails a season ‘without missed opportunities' in 2024

Charles Leclerc concluded the 2024 F1 season with a sense of satisfaction, the Ferrari driver…

12 hours ago

Coulthard sounds alarm over FIA president’s rift with F1 drivers

Former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard has voiced his dismay at FIA president Mohammed Ben…

13 hours ago

The rapid rise and fall of Super Aguri in F1

Super Aguri's application to join Formula 1 became a reality on this day in 2005,…

14 hours ago

Ferrari's 2024 Season: Marked improvement and a fight to the finish

Ferrari roared back into contention in 2024 to deliver their strongest season in years, thanks…

15 hours ago