Briatore comeback rumours gather pace

[Dare]

Love him or not Flav's a charactor and F1 needs charactors


Ferrari news

ESPNF1 Staff
September 17, 2010 Ferrari Rumours linking disgraced former Renault boss Flavio Briatore with a return to F1, possibly with Ferrari, continue to gather pace with reports he has visited the team's Maranello headquarters twice in recent weeks.

Briatore, who a year ago this week resigned in disgrace as Renault's head as the FIA prepared to hold a hearing into the Crashgate scandal, was spotted at the Ferrari base in July, sparking suggestions he was being lined-up for a comeback to the sport.

This week, Die Welt revealed he has continued to visit Ferrari, and last weekend he was spotted inside the team's garage at Monza.

Briatore is currently banned from involvement in F1 until 2013 but he is believed to be lobbying the FIA to have this reduced. The ban has not prevented him from continuing to manage leading drivers nor, it seems, does it extend to him not being at the heart of the action on a grand prix weekend.

When questioned after Monza, he said: "I am meeting with Bernie [Ecclestone] and then flying back to London. It's fantastic to be back, to see friends and to be in Italy … Ferrari are on pole and everyone is happy. Just wonderful."

Asked if he was keen to return to the sport, Briatore was as guarded as always. "I'm feeling very good and I'm happy with the way things are," he said. "We will see what happens in the future. Next week I will not be in Singapore; I am also perfectly happy at home.

[John S]

A week or so ago Flav was linked with a role at Pirelli by Crash.net, which he denies. I think he is already working with Bernie and as soon as he is allowed, by the FIA, to be in front line action we shall see him assuming more and more of Bernie's duties over the years.

[Scott]

That's exactly what I see too John.  Flavio isn't going to any team in F1.  If anything he's simply testing the waters in various meetings with team principals and suppliers to see how he will be taken when he starts taking over for Bernie. 

He's Italian.  When in Monza, if you can go where you want, you go to Ferrari - no brainer.  As well, Luca would never have him at the head of Ferrari, no chance, no way.

When he is running the FOM, at least we'll be able to spot him in a crowd, instead of now when we have to wonder if that crowd moving down the pitlane has Bernie in the middle.

[Canada Darrell™]

When he is running the FOM, at least we'll be able to spot him in a crowd, instead of now when we have to wonder if that crowd moving down the pitlane has Bernie in the middle.

 

Wait a sec...wasn't he banned for life? I may be wrong.

If he was banned for life, whose life was he banned for?, Bernie's? For what he did to get kicked out he shouldn't ever be allowed back. What would happen to a footballer, referee, hell, ANY major sports figure for fixing a match/race?

[cosworth151]

The courts threw that out.

So F1 goes from Gollum to Jabba the Hutt. Lovely! 

The Roman emperor Tiberius chose Caligula has his successor. He reasoned that, no matter how horrible his reign had been, Caligula would make him look good by comparison. This could be Bernie's thinking with Flav.