76 replies to this topic

[kosmos]

 

 

This morning the FOA has issued the following statement:

“Flavio Briatore, in his capacity as a long serving ambassador for Formula 1 will continue to support us in building our relationships with existing and potential promoters and partners and develop commercial entertainment collaborations as we continue to grow this incredible sport.”

I am pleased and honored to be able to continue to support the commercial and entertainment development of F1, the sport that I love and that has been such an important part of my professional life.

 

https://www.instagra.../p/Ca4c9caty6G/

[Misk]

Time to pull out THAT photo again (NSFW)

[MLC]

I knew what photo it was going to be. I knew I shouldn’t click. But I did and now my day is ruined. 

[KWSN - DSM]

 71 years old, is he really hitting the demographics F1 wants to entice?

[Mg5]

 71 years old, is he really hitting the demographics F1 wants to entice?

 

I fear they it's not the F1 demographics they want to target, but the "good" connections he's supposed to have in the industry and beyond.

 

Quite frankly F1 could have lived without this old, arrogant "macho latino". 

[Earthling]

Who's the smart guy that came up with the idea, and the smarter person above him who proposed it,.... then, who's the smartest of them all who made it possible?

[Chillimeister]

Well, he does seem to have a lot of (very considerably younger) lady friends ...

 

But, what Mg5 just said. 

[ANF]

I can't find the statement. https://corp.formula...press-releases/

[ANF]

Maybe he told the server to crash just as they were about to release the statement?

[BerniesDad]

..And next week will we hear about the return of Vijay Mallya and CVC Capital ?

[boomn]

 71 years old, is he really hitting the demographics F1 wants to entice?

Old people who can afford Rolexes seemed to be the only market that Bernie cared about.  Liberty may be trying to get more young fans into F1 again, but that doesn't mean they've stopped caring about rich old people 

[DoodoolTalla]

He probably has a lot of seedy and dodgy connections in Monaco through his club that need help with money laundering which Liberty is more than happy to whore itself out. 

Edited by DoodoolTalla, 09 March 2022 - 17:17.

[404KF2]

He can be a pit model in THAT g-string....

[FLB]

He can be a pit model in THAT g-string....

Aaaaaargh, my eyyyyyesss!!! They still burn!!!

[H0R]

Jean Todt back, Whitmarsh back, Briatore back ... Sam Michael probably will be next. Can't be bothered. Ther'es only one return which would get me excited.

 

 

Man, I miss this guy.

Edited by H0R, 09 March 2022 - 17:29.

[chdphd]

Jean Todt back, Whitmarsh back, Briatore back ... Sam Michael probably will be next. Can't be bothered. Ther'es only one return which would get me excited.

 
Guess you missed this from about a month ago
 

• Ex-McLaren F1 sporting chief Sam Michael to head FIA Safety Commission

[absinthedude]

I am unimpressed. 

 

Flav is an interesting one. Not a racing man at all, but at Benetton he understood his limitations and that his talent was for putting the right people into place in the team. That's a pretty useful set of skills.

 

But he's also been embroiled in scandal. I would have thought that F1 could do without him. I'd also far rather see Ron Dennis return in some capacity. He understands racing and business.  

[Forghieri]

I am unimpressed. 

 

Flav is an interesting one. Not a racing man at all, but at Benetton he understood his limitations and that his talent was for putting the right people into place in the team. That's a pretty useful set of skills.

 

But he's also been embroiled in scandal. I would have thought that F1 could do without him.

 

I agree with you. I'd add that F1 could do also without their current CTO Pat Symonds, who was as deeply involved in scandal as Briatore.

[Rodaknee]

Briatore used to pop up every year at the Russian GP.  Ecclestone made him the organiser or some such cash in hand jobby.  This will be 'compensation' for losing that job, arranged by Bernie's missus no doubt.

[Disgrace]

Strikes me as yesterday's man, who should be retired on an island somewhere.

[Chillimeister]

Gruinard?

[BRG]

Nothing to see here!

 

Not sure why people are so annoyed about this.  It just looks like he is just going to schmooze the sponsors and partners of F1, like Rolex and Aramco.  He is a businessman, so he is qualified to do that.  Nobody is asking him to get involved with the racing side of things again.  

[MKSixer]

Nothing to see here!

 

Not sure why people are so annoyed about this.  It just looks like he is just going to schmooze the sponsors and partners of F1, like Rolex and Aramco.  He is a businessman, so he is qualified to do that.  Nobody is asking him to get involved with the racing side of things again.  

He's a blight on the sport and orchestrated one of the worst cheating incidents in the history of F1 which could have seen a driver killed.  Yes.  That guy is back.  What a freaking to put out the, "No Integrity", sign on the sport.  You'd think after the AD debacle, they'd want to lay down a marker which says, "Hey...that's the old FIA, we are moving in a different direction for a more transparent future which will engender trust in our organization again.", but NOPE.  Let's go back to the old crooks and malfeasance.  

 

What's next, more dictator tracks and murderer relationships?  

 

Just when you don't think F1 has hit a nadir, they say, "Hold our caviar."

 

I'm not impressed.

[Gravelngrass]

This guy should not have been allowed to get near an F1 circuit ever again let alone be given a role in F1…

[absinthedude]

He's a blight on the sport and orchestrated one of the worst cheating incidents in the history of F1 which could have seen a driver killed.  Yes.  That guy is back.  What a freaking to put out the, "No Integrity", sign on the sport.  You'd think after the AD debacle, they'd want to lay down a marker which says, "Hey...that's the old FIA, we are moving in a different direction for a more transparent future which will engender trust in our organization again.", but NOPE.  Let's go back to the old crooks and malfeasance.  

 

What's next, more dictator tracks and murderer relationships?  

 

Just when you don't think F1 has hit a nadir, they say, "Hold our caviar."

 

I'm not impressed.

 

Yup.

 

See ya, F1. It was mostly a really good 44 years but I'm not just out of love with F1. I get no joy from it at all now. I was looking forward to the new regulations, but....nah...not feeling it at all. I gave the "pre season shakedown oh no it's not a test" a chance but it generated no excitement in me whatsoever.

 

Might stick around RC for Indycar and the occasional look at Le Mans and BTCC. But honestly....there is no integrity in F1 now. None whatsoever. All vestiges have gone. 

[MKSixer]

Yup.

 

See ya, F1. It was mostly a really good 44 years but I'm not just out of love with F1. I get no joy from it at all now. I was looking forward to the new regulations, but....nah...not feeling it at all. I gave the "pre season shakedown oh no it's not a test" a chance but it generated no excitement in me whatsoever.

 

Might stick around RC for Indycar and the occasional look at Le Mans and BTCC. But honestly....there is no integrity in F1 now. None whatsoever. All vestiges have gone. 

Absolutely.  An actual thumb-in-the-eye to all dedicated fans.  Almost 48 years and I only missed the 2 seasons after Senna died but this is pushing my limit to the edge.

[Thursday]

Despite the crimes we know Briatore has committed, and the ones he has been acquitted off, I am convinced there are much worse ones hidden somewhere.

 

I wonder what will happen to his yacht. The one Bernie bought in a police auction.

https://www.monaco-t...d-of-tax-fraud/

[thefinalapex]

He's a blight on the sport and orchestrated one of the worst cheating incidents in the history of F1 which could have seen a driver killed.  Yes.  That guy is back.  What a freaking to put out the, "No Integrity", sign on the sport.  You'd think after the AD debacle, they'd want to lay down a marker which says, "Hey...that's the old FIA, we are moving in a different direction for a more transparent future which will engender trust in our organization again.", but NOPE.  Let's go back to the old crooks and malfeasance.  

 

What's next, more dictator tracks and murderer relationships?  

 

Just when you don't think F1 has hit a nadir, they say, "Hold our caviar."

 

I'm not impressed.

 

I agree, i find unbelievable that there isn't one soul that works for F1 Management and thinks nah bad idea lets not do this.

[KLF1F]

Chase: Recent fan surveys say F1's integrity has reached zero, that it can't possibly fall any lower. How can we prove them wrong?

 

Stefano: Boss! Boss! I've got an idea!

[Gravelngrass]

Corruption is only bad if you are left out…

[MKSixer]

Corruption is only bad if you are left out…

Thanks for the chuckle!!!      

[frosty125]

Really crazy that F1 would put a guy with multiple fraud and conspiracy convictions, who fixed a race into a position such as this.

The optics are not good.

[danmills]

He also worked with a certain driver arguably as involved in equal merit racing scandals yet that certain driver is heralded as a demi god and the rest brushed aside.

Take the good, take the bad. A fool cherry picks the narrative.

[F1 Mike]

I can see why they chose to bring him in for sponsorship nurturing... But then I can't believe they have actually gone through with it.

Do they think that fixed race is all forgotten?

[pdac]

I can see why they chose to bring him in for sponsorship nurturing... But then I can't believe they have actually gone through with it.

Do they think that fixed race is all forgotten?

 

I don't recall a fixed race in the last 3 years. Can you remind me?

[F1 Mike]

I don't recall a fixed race in the last 3 years. Can you remind me?

Indeed! Just when you think things can't get any worse!?!

[ANF]

I'm sure Flavio Briatore in his role as an ambassador will be as useful to Formula One as Jackie Stewart has been to Heineken's beer.

[RacingGreen]

I agree, i find unbelievable that there isn't one soul that works for F1 Management and thinks nah bad idea lets not do this.

 

So what if Flav fixed the odd GP, last year F1 Management fixed the whole ****ing season.

[William Hunt]

Jezus, making Flavio an F1 ambassador. Are they insane? He's the worst team boss ever, always favouring the first driver and using the other driver as a punchball. He's also a tax evader with a very bad and decadent reputation. And he was involved in one of the biggest scandals in F1 ever: forcing Nelson Piquet Junior to crash his car so his other car could win. On top of that he used illegal traction control on Michael Schumacher's car, cheated also with the refueling valve in the pits causing Jos Verstappen's car to catch fire (in Hockenheim I believe). The guy is a disgrace. He also sacked Peter Collins when he got in control of Benetton. Collins was 10 times more capable as a team boss as Flavio.

Talk to Johnny Herbert if you want to know what a 'nice guy' Flavio is. When Johnny won the race at Monza for Benetton, Flavio had already left the circuit. He's a first class a$$hole. Flavio also refused to extend the contracts of both Alexander Wurz and Jarno Trulli because they refused to sign a management contract with him: a blatant example of putting his personal interest over that of the team.

Seriously: I can't think of any team manager who treated his drivers, his second drivers in particular, so badly in the whole history of F1.

Edited by William Hunt, 11 March 2022 - 00:53.

[Radion]

Time to pull out THAT photo again (NSFW)

My eyes 🥴

[jonpollak]

This is like letting Trump be president again.
Jp

[CoolBreeze]

corruption at its finest 

[statman]

He's back!

 

 

Flavio is in favor of the grid girls, maybe he can entice management to bring them back. Would be ending his career on a high!

[F1 Mike]

He's back!



Flavio is in favor of the grid girls, maybe he can entice management to bring them back. Would be ending his career on a high!

Memories of that grid interview Brundle did with Naomi in Monaco. Her head was so fried with coke all she could hardly speak a sentence 😂

[taran]

I am unimpressed. 

 

Flav is an interesting one. Not a racing man at all, but at Benetton he understood his limitations and that his talent was for putting the right people into place in the team. That's a pretty useful set of skills.

 

But he's also been embroiled in scandal. 

 

The 1994 Benetton was IMO an illegal car but that hardly makes it different to many other teams using illegal cars. Ken Tyrrell and his water/lead ballast (which was introduced by Bernie in 1981 and quickly copied by all other cosworth teams) cheated just as much yet nobody mentions that....

 

In 2008, Renault allegedly told him that they would shut the team down if they didn't win a race that year.

The Renault board was unhappy with the lack of results after winning titles in 2005 and 2006.

 

Crashgate was the desperate action of a team principal trying to keep his team afloat. And ironically, Alonso won the next race on merit.

 

That doesn't excuse his actions but Flavio is hardly the only team principal to have crossed the line trying to keep the team going. I would have expected more sympathy for him in a racing forum filled with racing fans.
 

[taran]

He's the worst team boss ever, always favouring the first driver and using the other driver as a punchball.

 

He's also a tax evader with a very bad and decadent reputation. And he was involved in one of the biggest scandals in F1 ever: forcing Nelson Piquet Junior to crash his car so his other car could win. On top of that he used illegal traction control on Michael Schumacher's car, cheated also with the refueling valve in the pits causing Jos Verstappen's car to catch fire (in Hockenheim I believe). The guy is a disgrace. He also sacked Peter Collins when he got in control of Benetton. Collins was 10 times more capable as a team boss as Flavio.

 

Talk to Johnny Herbert if you want to know what a 'nice guy' Flavio is. When Johnny won the race at Monza for Benetton, Flavio had already left the circuit.

 

He's a first class a$$hole. Flavio also refused to extend the contracts of both Alexander Wurz and Jarno Trulli because they refused to sign a management contract with him: a blatant example of putting his personal advantages over that of the team.

Seriously: I can't think of any team manager who treated his drivers, his second drivers in particular, so badly in the whole history of F1.

 

Really? You can't think of any team manager who treated his drivers so badly?

 

Allow me to refresh your memory....

 

Ross Brawn practically created the #1 and #2 driver system where the #2 was expected to sacrifice wins or give up his chassis to the #1 if required.

 

Frank Williams and the entire team packing up and leaving the Hungary circuit in 1990 while Thierry Boutsen was enjoying the victory ceremony.

 

That enough other a$$holes for you?
 

[mclarensmps]

"Let's see this Japanese now, yutaw taw." - Flavio

Watch out Yuki!

[ThadGreen]

Strikes me as yesterday's man, who should be retired on an island somewhere.

 

Alcatraz? Gitmo?

 

 

Perhaps this is part of F1's "We Race As One" program? 

[ANF]

I can't find the statement. https://corp.formula...press-releases/

This written reply to a Dutch journalist seems to be what Flavio calls an "FOA statement". https://www.telegraa...ug-in-formule-1

[William Hunt]

He's the Berlusconi of F1 really, certainly not someone you want to make 'ambassador' of the sport. It's a person F1 should forget and not honour. Very narcisistic person.

 

They should make people like Peter Collins, Ron Dennis (not the easiest person maybe but he was one of the great team bosses), Jackie Oliver, Peter Sauber, Gérard Larrousse, Gordon Murray (one of the best F1 engineers of all time) or Giancarlo Minardi ambassador.  Not someone with a very bad reputation like Flavio. I just don't understand this. Remember the words of Peter Collins on 'Beyond the grid' on Flavio: 'I don't like his business ethics': that sums it up really. I don't understand Liberty.
Also the way Flavio grabbed Schumacher and dumped Roberto Moreno without looking him in the eye. Flavio has to be the worst F1 team boss of all time from a human perspective.

Edited by William Hunt, 11 March 2022 - 01:04.