P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Flavio Briatore may be Alpine’s de facto F1 team boss but he is not seen that way by the FIA.
Flavio Briatore will not be considered the person responsible for Alpine at this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix according to F1’s governing body.
The 75-year-old Italian cannot act as team principal because he is not a staff member, and he does not hold the required F1 licence.
Briatore works for Alpine’s parent company Renault as an executive advisor on a consultancy basis.
Despite de facto leading the Alpine F1 team after the departure of team principal Oliver Oakes, he is not recognized as such by the FIA.
Racing director Dave Greenwood will be fulfilling the role of the “dedicated responsible person” in the absence of a formal team principal.
Briatore’s controversial return to F1 followed his lifetime ban for involvement in the “Crashgate” scandal, but this ban was overturned by a French court in May 2024.
Briatore clarified that there was no rift between him and Oakes, attributing Oakes’ resignation to personal reasons and affirming their joint commitment to advancing the team.
