Briatore’s ‘zasca’ to Alpine and Alonso’s critics

Flavio Briatore, Alonso’s former boss at Renault and a good friend of the Asturian, never miss an opportunity to send a ‘message’ in Alpine that he did not want to offer him another two-year contract last year because they had doubts about the performance that the Oviedo man could have due to his age. Therefore, after two podiums conquered by Fernando Alonso in his first two races with Aston Martinthe Italian clearly defends the figure of the Spaniard and highlights the leadership he takes on the Aston Martin project.

At this point, Flavio said he was with Fernando at the time of his decision to leave Alpine and sign with Aston Martin and highlighted the “desire to change” which he saw in the green team and he did not see in the French team.

Flavio revealed that he advised the Spaniard when he had to make a decision on accepting the offer from Aston Martin, all this, at a time when Alpine did not want to offer the man from Oviedo more than a year because of his age (41 years old), doubts that his performance will not be affected by the passage of time.

“We shared that decision. We took a risk. But it was worth it: they offered us two years of contract, while others, with the excuse of age, only one”, he said clearly referring to Alpine. But also, he clarified that the main reason for the decision was that Flavio and Fernando knew about the ambitious plan of Lawrence Stroll, owner of Aston Martin, and that the green team gathered all the ingredients to make the team champion his team. .

“But we also know that Lawrence Stroll is building a great team. Inside that we see a desire to change that is not there, for example, in Alpine”he added, sending another clear dart at the French for the conformism they saw in the blue team.

“I’ve known Lawrence for 30 years, he’s a true F1 fan, he’s a successful entrepreneur. He started as a sponsor, then he bought Racing Point… He signed a lot of people from Red Bull and other teams: in those teams they were number two or three, while he gave them greater responsibility. Invested in a wind tunnel (available next year) and a new location in Silverstone (a large factory due to start operations this year). If you want to grow, you have to do it.”he declared.

As if that wasn’t enough, Briatore also referred to some ideas that have traveled the F1 paddock in recent years relating to Alonso and criticized, again indirectly, that Alpine doubted his age.

“At 41 years old, he’s faster than twenty-somethings. I never had any doubts. They say he’s too old, that he’s not a team man. Stupid. You just give him a car and he. brings results “he concluded.