Flavio Briatore in Fred Vasseur mode
At the end of the Montreal weekend, Flavio Briatore gave an interview to Argentina’s La Voz, in which he staunchly—and quite colorfully—defended Franco Colapinto, strongly rejecting rumours suggesting he could be replaced by Paul Aron.
The Italian manager, echoing what Frederic Vasseur has done in the past, urged local media to protect their own driver instead of spreading paddock speculation.
Flavio Briatore’s words
“The team is happy with Franco, period. He’s part of the team and I don’t know what rumours you’re referring to,” Flavio Briatore told the outlet, before being asked about Aron: “The problem is that the press publishes a lot of garbage. And the fault is yours, not ours. All these things come from Argentina and the people there. You should blame yourselves. Don’t ask me, because it’s you putting out all this crap, saying Franco this and that. It depends on you—if you keep this up, it won’t be good for Franco either. You have to support him and not put pressure on him, if you’re professionals who want to protect him.”
Flavio Briatore didn’t stop at the press: “Social networks are full of idiots, they don’t count. But you, who have a driver in F1, need to protect your driver because he’s young and with a new team—it’s not easy for anyone at the beginning.”
The Alpine executive consultant then added: “The engineers are very happy, he’s spent many hours in the simulator, and we’ve changed the seat and brake pedals—we’re starting to see results.”
Flavio Briatore closed with the tone of a team leader: “A deadline for Franco? I’ve already told you, the deadline is yours. We need to support Franco—he’s a young guy and a good asset for Argentine motorsport. We must support him, and in Argentina, you need to forget about the rumours. If you hear something, ask me.”
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