Flavio Briatore

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Flavio Briatore at the 66th Venice Film Festival 2009

Flavio Briatore (born April 12, 1950 in Verzuolo ) is an Italian sports and industry manager. He was best known as the team boss of the Formula 1 racing teams of Benetton (1989–1997, 2000–2001) and Renault (2002–2009), where he last had to vacate his post because of the so-called “Crash Gate Affair” . He was then excluded from Formula 1 and all other FIA events for an indefinite period . This ban was lifted on January 5, 2010. Briatore is co-owner of the English football club Queens Park Rangers .

Early years

Briatore was born the son of a teacher couple. After finishing school, he initially trained as a land surveyor , but then worked in many odd jobs - u. a. as a ski instructor - and later also owned a restaurant called Tribula , which he had to close again. After working as an insurance agent for a while, he began his career as an independent entrepreneur together with the financial and construction entrepreneur Attilio Dutto from Cuneo . Briatore had to give up his joint plans with Dutto soon afterwards when his partner was mysteriously killed in a car bomb explosion in March 1979.

Next, Briatore worked on the Milan Stock Exchange , where he first met Achille Caproni ( Caproni aircraft ) and later the clothing manufacturer Luciano Benetton . With some investments , such as the acquisition of the company of his late business partner Dutto and the bankruptcy of some holding companies , Briatore got increasingly into difficulties with the Italian judiciary and was sentenced to various prison terms. He managed to avoid these prison sentences by spending a long period abroad in the Caribbean and to return to Italy with impunity after an amnesty . During his stay abroad he took advantage of his friendship with Benetton and worked for its company. He opened several hundred Benetton stores in the United States and became wealthy from his success there.

formula 1

After his return to Italy in 1989, Luciano Benetton appointed Briatore as manager and team principal of the Formula 1 racing team, Benetton Formula, which has been owned by the company since 1986 . Briatore soon justified his commitment with considerable success, despite the lack of any previous connection to motorsport. In 1994 he helped the aspiring young German driver Michael Schumacher to his first world championship title , which "Schumi" successfully defended in 1995 on a Benetton Renault. In the same year, Benetton also achieved the only design engineer title in team history. After Schumacher's departure to Ferrari , the star of the racing team gradually fell and Briatore finally withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of 1997.

When the Renault Group, which had also left Formula 1 as an engine supplier at the end of 1997, announced its return as an independent team in 2001 by taking over the Benetton racing team, Briatore was also on board again and led the team again from 2002 to considerable success. As the discoverer and manager of Fernando Alonso, he helped the Spaniard to two world championship titles in 2005 and 2006 and also won the constructors' cup for Renault in both years. In September 2009, Briatore was forced to resign as team principal of Renault after it became publicly known that he and the team's chief engineer, Pat Symonds , won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix due to an accident involving his driver Nelson Piquet Jr. had manipulated. The Renault group had previously announced that it would not proceed against the serious allegations of ex-driver Piquet, who had already been dismissed in July, which can be interpreted as an admission of guilt. Briatore himself, however, had previously denied the allegations and, on his part, charged Piquet and his father Nelson Piquet senior with defamation . posed.

On September 21, 2009, Briatore and Pat Symonds were banned from all FIA events by the International Automobile Federation (FIA). Briatore was banned indefinitely and Symonds for five years. In addition, Briatore was no longer allowed to act as a driver's manager. Renault was also suspended, but the sentence was given until 2011 on probation. Briatore was considered one of the closest confidants of Formula 1 mogul Bernie Ecclestone and one of the most skillful and influential players in the Formula 1 business.

Both Briatore's and Symonds' bans were lifted by a French court on January 5, 2010. As a justification, the court stated that the suspension was irregular due to the weak evidence. In addition, Briatore was awarded damages of 15,000 euros. The world automobile association FIA immediately announced that it might appeal this judgment. Briatore and the FIA ​​reached an agreement on April 12, 2010. The FIA ​​lifted the lifelong ban. This enables Briatore to take on a responsible position in Formula 1 again from 2013. In return, Briatore and Symonds waived all legal claims and steps against the FIA. Until the end of 2012, they were not allowed to take up a position in Formula 1. According to the FIA, Briatore and Symonds took responsibility for the deliberate crash, apologized and expressed regret over the incident.

further activities

Through his previous motorsport involvement, Briatore runs the exclusive fashion brand Billionaire Couture together with Angelo Galasso . Since 2004 he has also been the operator of an exclusive nightclub, the Billionaire Club (dt. Club of Billionaires ) in Porto Cervo on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia . He also runs the Beach Club Twiga in Tuscany and the luxury hotel with spa Lion in the Sun Resort in Kenya .

On September 1, 2007, Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore bought the London football club Queens Park Rangers . The purchase price was 1.5 million euros, and liabilities of 19.5 million euros were repaid. On February 19, 2010, Briatore resigned as president of the football club. He remains a co-owner.

Public appearance

Briatore has also become known to the public for its " Playboy image", which is based on affairs and connections with attractive women and well-known models. So he entertained u. a. Relationships with Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum . He has a daughter, Klum, who was later adopted by Klum's then husband Seal . The couple broke up while Klum was pregnant. In June 2008, Briatore, better known as a bachelor, married the 30 years younger Italian Elisabetta Gregoraci.

During a normal check-up in early July 2006, doctors in the United States discovered a malignant tumor on Briatre's left kidney. He was then operated on in a clinic in Rome .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Briatore: The team was unmotivated in 2000. Retrieved December 4, 2019 .
  2. ^ "Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds leave Renault" (Welt.de on September 16, 2009)
  3. ↑ "Black eye: only suspended sentence for Renault!" (Motorsport-Total.com on September 21, 2009)
  4. ↑ Briatore ban dissolved: Court approves him ( Memento from January 8, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (Formel1.de on January 5, 2010)
  5. ↑ Briatore undecided on F1 return: Justice has been done ( Memento from January 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (Formel1.de on January 5, 2010)
  6. ↑ https://www.spiegel.de/sport/formel1/formel-1-gericht-kippt-briatores-lebenslange-sperre-a-670242.html
  7. ↑ FIA opens the door to the premier class for Briatore (NZZ Online April 12, 2010). Accessed on April 13, 2010.
  8. ↑ Billionaire Club Porto Cervo (Official Homepage of the Billionaire Club)
  9. ^ Briatore no longer President of the Queens Park Rangers (ORF Sport). Retrieved on February 21, 2010.
  10. ↑ ... being a father is very much. In: sueddeutsche.de. January 2, 2012, accessed May 17, 2018 .

Web links

Commons : Flavio Briatore  - collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Briatore, Flavio
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian sports and industry manager
DATE OF BIRTH April 12, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Cuneo , Italy