**Flavio Briatore: Formula 1’s Mysterious Mogul Returns, With a Past Marked by Glamour and Controversy**
After a lengthy hiatus from front-line motorsport management, Flavio Briatore has re-emerged as the principal figure at the Alpine F1 team, marking his first top-level role since the controversial end to his previous tenure at Renault nearly two decades ago. The Italian business magnate, now 75, steps into the spotlight as Alpine continue to struggle, hoping that Briatore’s trademark boldness and experience might revive the team’s fortunes.
Briatore’s initial foray into Formula 1 dates back to the late 1980s, when his sharp business acumen won him the role of Benetton’s commercial director. Quickly moving up the ranks, he soon became known for his savvy manoeuvres—most notably when he secured the talents of a young Michael Schumacher in the early 1990s. Under Briatore’s stewardship, the Benetton team blossomed into a dominant force, paving the way for long-term success.
When Benetton became Renault in 2000, Briatore stayed involved, playing a crucial role in the meteoric rise of Fernando Alonso. Together, they clinched both Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in 2005 and 2006. However, Briatore’s reign ended in disgrace following the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where allegations emerged of orchestrating a deliberate crash to benefit Alonso’s race strategy. Despite denying the claims, Briatore left Renault after the FIA launched its investigation.
Briatore was handed a lifetime ban from FIA events, a decision he managed to overturn the following year via the French courts. Nevertheless, the episode left a lasting mark on the Italian’s reputation and forced a temporary retreat from the motorsport limelight.
Recently invited back into Formula 1 by Renault executive Luca de Meo, and with the departure of principal Oliver Oakes, Briatore has assumed the de facto lead at Alpine. This move also brings intrigue, given that the team’s ownership includes Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds, who has made a name for himself in the football world as one of Wrexham’s owners.
Away from the racetrack, Briatore has led an equally colourful personal life, often capturing the media’s fascination. His romance with supermodel Naomi Campbell in the late 1990s was well-documented, culminating in an engagement that, despite high hopes, did not stand the test of time. The pair parted ways in 2003, ending a relationship characterised by its on-and-off nature.
That same year, Briatore’s name was back in the gossip columns as he began dating German-American model Heidi Klum. Their whirlwind romance led to the birth of their daughter, Helene (more commonly known as ‘Leni’), in 2004. However, Klum and Briatore separated while she was still expecting. Klum subsequently married musician Seal, who would go on to legally adopt Leni, an arrangement Briatore has spoken about in past interviews, acknowledging the importance of stability and family for his daughter. Klum and Seal remained together until their divorce in 2014.
Briatore’s headline-making love life continued when, in 2008, he married Italian model Elisabetta Gregoraci, famously associated with Wonderbra. The marriage brought another child into his life—a son named Falco. Despite their split in 2017, the two have reportedly remained on friendly terms, maintaining a sense of stability for their son.
But Briatore’s ambitions have not been confined to motorsport and relationships. In 2007, he entered the world of English football, becoming co-owner and later chairman of Queens Park Rangers (QPR) alongside Bernie Ecclestone and billionaire Lakshmi Mittal. Despite high hopes for a Premier League revival, Briatore’s time at QPR was marked by underwhelming results and frequent interference in club affairs. He stepped back from the club in 2010, following mounting pressure and regulatory scrutiny due to his tumultuous Formula 1 past.
As Flavio Briatore returns to the forefront of F1, questions remain over whether his brand of audacious leadership can turn Alpine’s fortunes around—or whether history might repeat itself. For now, his enigmatic presence continues to ensure that sport, business, and gossip columns alike remain gripped by the unfolding story of one of Formula 1’s most controversial figures.