Flavio Briatore

Flavio Briatore is an Italian businessman whose flamboyant career has spanned hospitality, fashion, motorsport, and football, making him one of the most controversial figures in modern sport. Born on 12 April 1950 in Verzuolo, Piedmont, Italy, he began working as a ski instructor and restaurant manager before moving into the insurance and paint industries, experiences that forged his ruthless commercial instincts. In the late 1970s he joined Luciano Benetton’s clothing empire, eventually overseeing the rapid expansion of Benetton stores across the United States and the Virgin Islands, a venture that generated the wealth which later funded his forays into Formula One. Briatore first entered the world of Grand Prix racing in 1988, but it was not until 1991 that he took full control of the Benetton Formula team, where his aggressive hiring and firing policies helped build a “super‑team” around engineers such as Ross Brawn and drivers like Michael Schumacher, leading to three Constructors’ Championships and two Drivers’ titles in the mid‑1990s. His tenure was marred by multiple cheating allegations, including the 1994 launch‑control controversy and the 2007 “Spygate” affair, yet he consistently escaped severe penalties, demonstrating his skill at navigating the sport’s political landscape. After a dramatic fall from grace following the 2008 “Crashgate” scandal—where he was banned indefinitely by the FIA only to have the ban overturned by a French court—Briatore shifted focus to luxury hospitality, founding the Billionaire nightclub brand, operating high‑end restaurants, and even owning a share of Queens Park Rangers football club from 2007 to 2010. Despite a fifteen‑year hiatus from Formula One, he returned in 2024 as an executive adviser to the Alpine F1 Team, where his cost‑cutting measures and strategic re‑structuring have reignited debate over his lasting impact on the sport. Known for his bold statements, flamboyant lifestyle, and relentless pursuit of profit, Briatore remains a polarising figure whose influence stretches far beyond the racetrack, encompassing fashion, nightlife, and even political activism in Italy.