Last week the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris surprisingly overturned Flavio Briatore’s lifetime ban from motorsport. Whilst the court’s judgment may be legally solid it lacks commonsense and the FIA will be sure to prevent Briatore from making his way back into Formula One. Even if the former Renault boss finds a loophole that allows him to take part in the sport, he will not find anyone willing to hire him.
Flavio’s time in Formula One is over.
However the flamboyant Italian will not be easily forgotten. Briatore has never been shy with the press and often uses the media to make his point, a process made entertaining with swearing and poorly structured English. Although his career will forever be overshadowed by the Singapore scandal that brought about his demise he will always be remembered for the amusing headline-grabbing remarks.
With that in mind, here is a small collection of Flavio Briatore’s most memorable quotes. Some are a little nonsensical, some completely contradict others, whilst a few offer glimpses into what makes the man tick.
Enjoy
symbol(nbsp)
“I am rich. Simple as that. I know what the people want”
symbol(nbsp)
On the 2009 championship battle between Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello
“The drivers in our teams have been and are world champions, and yet the title is being fought between one driver who is a semi-pensioner and another who is a decent bloke but is like a roadside post”
symbol(nbsp)
On Ron Dennis signing Fernando Alonso in late 2006
“Has not won the world title for seven years so now he wants to manufacture good news”
symbol(nbsp)
On Ron Dennis in general
“Is not the immaculate saint he pretends to be on his statements”
symbol(nbsp)
On the new rules package in 2003
“The rumour is that McLaren is not so happy about it. I am delighted. This is the best news of today”
symbol(nbsp)
On backmarkers and blue flags
“You need to rifle to get these guys moving”
symbol(nbsp)
On the new teams entering the sport in 2010.
“It is not correct that teams of GP2 race with us”
symbol(nbsp)
When asked in 2008 if he walked around the new Valencia street circuit
“I was running”
symbol(nbsp)
“There should be more respect in Formula One.”
symbol(nbsp)
Flavio’s reaction on the pitwall when Nelson Piquet crashed in Singapore
“Fucking hell. My every fucking disgrace. Fucking he’s not a driver”
symbol(nbsp)
When asked if Piquet would be with Renault at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix
“I don’t know. Maybe I am in the car myself”
symbol(nbsp)
On Nelson Piquet Junior after the crash-gate story broke
“Nelsinho used to live with this gentleman. The nature of their relationship is unknown. His father was very worried about the relationship Nelsinho used to have with this fifty year old man. They used to live together and his father asked me to intervene. I made this gentleman not come to races anymore, and I made Nelsinho move from Oxford to London in a building where I live, in order to keep him under control.”
symbol(nbsp)
On the difference between fighting with Ferrari and McLaren in 2006
“Is a world championship which has already been decided at the table. We have understood how things go. It has all been decided. They have decided to give the world championship to Schumacher and that is what will be. If you are fighting with McLaren it is fine, if you fight with these guys (Ferrari) it is impossible”
symbol(nbsp)
On the difference between fighting with Ferrari and McLaren in 2008
“It is logical that I support Ferrari as an Italian, as Flavio Briatore, as Renault for the relationship we have with Ferrari. Instead, McLaren accused us of spying. We went on for four months with this nonsense that never existed.”
symbol(nbsp)
On Max Mosley in 2006
“Max has to act as he does because we can never reach an agreement. It is normal that occasionally this results in not so good decisions. However, all in all he does a very good job”
symbol(nbsp)
On the birth of his second child due in early 2010
“We haven’t agreed a name but it certainly won’t be called Max”
symbol(nbsp)
On F1 safety.
“Fatality is part of the game. We have to accept the element of risk that F1 shares with a sport like boxing.”
symbol(nbsp)
On the double diffuser controversy early 2009
“But since Brawn was our technical delegate, and he forces me to spend money I don’t have in my budget, and since Honda’s money has luckily not been shared yet, we’ll have a meeting. My proposal will be as follows: Brawn is richer than anyone else, because he’s had his team paid for in full by Honda. Plus he’s had 130 million given to him by Honda as well. He’s certainly richer than I am. I don’t want to be a Robin Hood, but when there’s a situation where everyone is transparent then it’s fine.
symbol(nbsp)
On Williams 2009 pace
“It is not normal. In this moment, Kazuki Nakajima is a fantastic driver, but these people did not make such a big improvement from last year. It is very clear there is a lot of downforce and a lot of ground effect”
symbol(nbsp)
On budget caps in 2009
“Just when there’s talk of setting a budget cap to thirty million, we’ve spent fifteen for KERS and ten more for the diffusers. We’re left with five to travel and to pay the employees”
symbol(nbsp)
“I have never listened to one of my drivers giving an interview. I couldn’t care less.”
symbol(nbsp)
After the 2008 Australian Grand Prix
“If we had what you call a midfield car, then Ferrari had no car at all in Melbourne”
symbol(nbsp)
On the spectacle of F1
“I don’t think they’re interested in what your suspension is made of. We need to keep technology, but races are too predictable. Every time we have a good race it’s because something happened with a Safety Car or the weather. We need more fights between drivers. The races should be held at a better time as well. 2pm on a Sunday night is not right. We need to be starting 6pm or 7pm.”
symbol(nbsp)
More on the spectacle of F1
“The GP2 championship costs 0.65 percent of what the Formula One championship costs. I don’t understand why GP2 cost $2.5 million and our team and other teams cost maybe between $300 and $500 million. I do not see what the difference is.”
symbol(nbsp)
“I have read in the French press that Renault is going to leave Formula One. These journalists need new jobs”
symbol(nbsp)
On rumours in 2003 the FIA would offer a million dollars to anyone who caught someone else cheating
“I want to take this million dollar myself. I love it. I promise I take this money. I go looking for this money”
symbol(nbsp)
When asked if there should be more girls in the paddock
“There would be more if only Bernie would give us the passes”
symbol(nbsp)
On Fernando Alonso in late 2006
“I wish Fernando a merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday because when the new season starts we will beat him.”
symbol(nbsp)
“With Kovalainen, I hope to find the anti-Alonso”
symbol(nbsp)
On Heikki Kovalainen’s Renault debut
“Everyone saw it on TV. There’s no point trying to defend him. If I said he did a good job, I would be a complete idiot.”
symbol(nbsp)
On Michael Schumacher in 2005
“He’s too old”
symbol(nbsp)
On drivers from the modern era
“They’re all the same. I don’t recognise sixty percent of them out of their overalls. I used to know them all, now I can’t even pronounce some of their names”
symbol(nbsp)
On Kimi Raikkonen’s off-track antics
“What Raikkonen did is like a breath of fresh air. Maybe he should be given a drink before he speaks to the press in future.”
symbol(nbsp)
On Jarno Trulli in late 2004
“I think Jarno is suffering from a syndrome”
symbol(nbsp)
On Felipe Massa in 2006
“He is a kid. A little kid. Little in every sense”
symbol(nbsp)
On Lewis Hamilton before the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix
“In my opinion Hamilton will throw it away once more. He and McLaren were amazing last year. To lose the title with a 17 point advantage with two races to go is worthy of the Guinness Book of Records. Hamilton hasn’t learned anything. We saw that in Japan last week. He should be told he is an F1 driver, not a martian. He is no Muhammad Ali. He is a youngster who still has to show his worth. He’s a good driver, but the good drivers are also the ones who bring the results home”
symbol(nbsp)
Perhaps the most poignant quote of all
“I’m not particularly passionate about Formula 1. I just want to win”