In a new interview, Flavio Briatore dreams of having Max Verstappen at Alpine.
Flavio Briatore doesn’t hide his interest in Max Verstappen, whom he hopes to one day see racing for Alpine. After all, it’s better to sort out the car first and then think about the drivers — which is why the Italian businessman is constantly reshaping the team in order to find the right formula to bring it back to the top.
This year, Alpine said goodbye to its newly appointed team principal Oliver Oakes, who was sidelined while they search for a replacement. In the meantime, Flavio Briatore has taken control of the French team’s operations.
The “treatment” (as the media affectionately call it) continued with a driver shake-up. Pierre Gasly remains at the center of the team, while rookie Jack Doohan was dropped before the Imola GP. He was replaced by Franco Colapinto, the third driver beloved by Argentinians — bringing both fans and a host of sponsors.
Yet every boss dreams of having their own ideal driver lineup. So who is Flavio Briatore’s dream team? He answered this question in an interview with Il Corriere della Sera. In a rapid Q&A session, the Italian manager named who he considers the number one in Formula 1 right now, while clarifying he couldn’t say who the greatest of all time is.
“Of all time, I don’t know, because we’ve had Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso… But right now, the number one is definitely Max Verstappen,” he said.
When asked who he would like to see driving for Alpine, Flavio Briatore didn’t hesitate to name the four-time World Champion from the Netherlands. In fact, he added: “Two Verstappens, because I have two cars.”
The Red Bull star is a tempting target for any team at the moment. Even Mercedes has considered signing him, and now more than ever, Max Verstappen’s position within the Austrian outfit seems shaky, especially with a car that hasn’t always lived up to expectations this season and has stirred some discontent.
Who knows — maybe in the future, Flavio will manage to convince Super Max to wear the pink and blue colors of his team.
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