Breaking; FIA Issue Flavio Briatore Statement after Surprise Al…read more
FIA Declines to Acknowledge Flavio Briatore as Alpine Team Principal at Imola
A fresh twist has emerged ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, as the FIA has confirmed that Flavio Briatore is not officially recognised as the team principal of Alpine, despite the team assigning him the responsibilities of the role.
Alpine recently announced that Briatore would take over the duties previously carried out by Oliver Oakes, who stepped down following the Miami Grand Prix earlier this month. Oakes’s departure is believed to be linked to the arrest of his brother, prompting a reshuffle within the team’s leadership.
Briatore, who led the Enstone-based squad to world championship glory with drivers like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, returned to Alpine as an executive adviser in June 2024. His new role appeared to include many of the key responsibilities of a team principal.
However, the FIA has stated that Briatore is not considered the official head of the team, as he is not formally listed as a team staff member and does not hold an F1 licence — both of which are required to be recognised in a leadership position by the sport’s governing body.
In Briatore’s absence, racing director Dave Greenwood previously a race engineer for Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari has been designated as Alpine’s “dedicated responsible person” for the Imola weekend.
The development adds further complexity to Alpine’s ongoing internal restructuring amid an already challenging season.
