The Official F1 2025 silly season *contains speculation*

[vaud]

Personally I'd put him in Haas with Bearman. I rate Pourchaire higher than Ocon who seems to be the other candidate.

[honda_exige]

vaud said:

Personally I'd put him in Haas with Bearman. I rate Pourchaire higher than Ocon who seems to be the other candidate.

Yeah good shout, though maybe Alpine might give him a shot being French and all?

[vaud]

https://x.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1804043500691878...

BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division.


FFS.

[Mark-C]

vaud said:

https://x.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1804043500691878...

BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division.


FFS.

Alpine really are flailing around at the moment ... this just smacks of yet more desperation.

[rallycross]

Mark-C said:

Alpine really are flailing around at the moment ... this just smacks of yet more desperation.

It really does what a shocking choice dragging him back into F1.

[Leithen]

vaud said:

https://x.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1804043500691878...

BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division.


FFS.

I wouldn't be at all shocked if he kicked the team up the backside and started to sort out the shambles they are.

[Muzzer79]

Mark-C said:

vaud said:

https://x.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1804043500691878...

BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division.


FFS.

Alpine really are flailing around at the moment ... this just smacks of yet more desperation.

Agreed.

"Remember that bloke that was publicly convicted of cheating a few years back when we ran the team? Well, here he is back in a senior position."

Desperation is the right word - they have no idea how to make the team successful, so have brought in the only guy who made it a success (20 years ago) in the hope he'll know what to do.

Meantime, the guy in question has been out of F1 for 15 years and is well into his 70s so might be described as.........out of touch.

If I were Andretti I'd be circling, with my offer price reducing by the week.

[Forester1965]

He's a well connected person that might help you sell a team for the right price.

[Hustle_]

The-Race and don’t forget the hyphen’s brutal headline;

BRIATORE RETURN ERODES FINAL BIT OF RENAULT'S F1 CREDIBILITY

[vaud]

Hustle_ said:

The-Race and don’t forget the hyphen’s brutal headline;

BRIATORE RETURN ERODES FINAL BIT OF RENAULT'S F1 CREDIBILITY

I can't stand the man, personally.

If it's to help sell the team and he keeps away from the track then I guess it's ok. The moment he appears in the paddock their credibility is totally shot.

[Gazzab]

Clearly Alpine can see a benefit. Maybe he is well connected and he can help them secure a better future, attract new team members, gain some discipline etc

[Sandpit Steve]

vaud said:

https://x.com/AlpineF1Team/status/1804043500691878...

BWT Alpine F1 Team can confirm that Flavio Briatore has been appointed by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo as his Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division.


FFS.

That sounds like a Helmut Marko type role, running the show without actually being on the payroll.

I can understand the need to kick the team into shape, but there’s a whole load more suitable people to take on than the most famous cheat in the sport’s history.

[Leithen]

vaud said:

I can't stand the man, personally.

If it's to help sell the team and he keeps away from the track then I guess it's ok. The moment he appears in the paddock their credibility is totally shot.

Neither can I. But F1 does have a pretty rich history of unsavoury characters. One of the current team owners has done time!

[Gazzab]

vaud said:

I can't stand the man, personally.

If it's to help sell the team and he keeps away from the track then I guess it's ok. The moment he appears in the paddock their credibility is totally shot.

I haven’t met him and so can’t really say I like or dislike him. I like that he brought colour and intrigue to f1 but I don’t like some of his actions.

[TheDeuce]

Hahahaha... Alpine has somehow become even more tragic!

Hard to believe.

[Teppic]

So Gasly or Ocon to win in Barcelona then, with the other driver "crashing"?

[TheDeuce]

FOM at work, an article that manages to entirely gloss over cheating..

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.alpine-...

Apparently he just took some time out for a while

[Rotary Potato]

Teppic said:

So Gasly or Ocon to win in Barcelona then, with the other driver "crashing"?

Ocon to "crash" ... surely? He's the one on the way out of the team at the end of the year. And does it often enough anyway that it'll be difficult to work out if it was a crash or a "crash" ...

I'm sure he won't be bitter and will keep quiet about the whole thing.

After all, no driver dumped by Enstone would ever go spilling the beans to the FIA ...

[Forester1965]

Prediction. Mercedes to keep moving towards the front this season and Hamilton to try and back out of his Ferrari move.

[TheDeuce]

Forester1965 said:

Prediction. Mercedes to keep moving towards the front this season and Hamilton to try and back out of his Ferrari move.

That's a tricky one...

It wouldn't amaze me one bit if Lewis and Newey were in cahoots heading to Ferrari. But... Would that combo, at a team as feckless as Ferrari, actually be likely to beat Merc if they're back on top of things..!?

I imagine that Lewis no longer has any financial requirement of the sport and can do whatever he wishes. If he really thought that Merc was the best bet, he could easily renege on the Ferrari deal.

Although I suspect he and Newey will end up at Ferrari - that seems the most likely outcome.