Latest news with #Crashgate
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alpine boss Flavio Briatore ‘should not be back in F1', says Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert believes Flavio Briatore should 'not be back in F1' after the Italian maverick returned to the paddock with Alpine as de facto team principal. Briatore, 75, will enact all the duties of former team principal Oliver Oakes after the Briton's resignation three weeks ago, due to personal reasons. Advertisement While Briatore's official title will remain 'executive adviser', he is effectively back as team boss 17 years after the 2008 Crashgate scandal, when he was initially given a lifetime ban from the sport for his role as Renault team principal in Nelson Piquet Jnr's deliberate crash in Singapore. Briatore's ban was later overturned in the French courts but, given his chequered past, ex-F1 driver Herbert believes it's wrong that the Italian has returned in a team-leading capacity in the paddock. 'I didn't agree when Flavio Briatore came back and I still don't agree that he's back,' Herbert said. 'But he is back and he's in the battle. He's now head of the Alpine team and running it. Advertisement 'Those decisions have been made, as I said, don't agree. I don't think it's the right thing, he's back.' Briatore, who returned to Renault-owned Alpine last summer as 'executive adviser', recently decided to drop Jack Doohan after just seven races for Argentine driver Franco Colapinto. Flavio Briatore is back as de facto team boss at Alpine (Getty Images) However, with a keen eye on new regulations in 2026 and a chance for Alpine to narrow the gap to the frontrunners, Herbert believes Briatore could target a seasoned veteran in the F1 cockpit. 'If Briatore is someone who gets Sergio Perez at Alpine and Perez does a good job and then Flavio gets on his side, he'd be in a very strong position,' Hebert said, in quotes associated with 'If it doesn't go well, you'll have exactly what's happened with Jack Doohan. Advertisement 'That is always going to be part of what Flavio does. He will always choose one. 'He's one who has always done that and that's where it can be very damaging for the driver's career, but also just mentally.' Alpine failed to score points at the last race in Monaco; F1 next heads to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
F1 champion Max Verstappen uses fake name to go incognito driving for rival team in test session
Scroll down to find out how Verstappen's cover was blown SECRET FORMULA F1 champion Max Verstappen uses fake name to go incognito driving for rival team in test session Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MAX VERSTAPPEN went undercover and used a FAKE NAME to test out a Ferrari this week. The Red Bull F1 star's best attempts to remain icognito saw him take on the fake name of Franz Herman. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Red Bull star Max Verstappen used a fake name to drive for a rival team in a test session 4 Verstappen took part in the session under the name of Franz Hermann 4 Verstappen elected to test a Ferrari 296 GT3 as he completed a few laps in Germany Verstappen tested a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the official session ahead of the third round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). The F1 world champion was running with the Emil Frey Racing team, who employ Thierry Vermeulen, son of Verstappen's manager, Raymond. The 27-year-old's fake name was on display on the car along with the Dutch flag. But it was clear to onlookers that Verstappen was behind the wheel as the car was decked out with his livery. READ MORE F1 NEWS GRAND TORE How supermodel-loving Briatore returned to F1 despite Crashgate lifetime ban The Dutchman also wore his own trademark F1 helmet and race suit that included his real name. Verstappen also had security guards present during the session, while photographers were barred from inside the garage. He is reportedly planning to get a Nordschleife permit, which would allow him to officially race around the iconic German circuit. Verstappen said last year: "The Nurburgring Nordschleife is one of my absolute favourite race tracks, and I hope that in a few years, I can also compete here with a real GT3.' CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS This is not the first time Verstappen has got behind the wheel of a GT3 car, as he fields his own team in the GT World Challenge. The four-time F1 champion has made no secret of his goal to switch to endurance racing following the end of his F1 career. 10 Years of Max Verstappen documentary trailer announced its racing programme earlier this year and it includes the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance championship with 24 Hours of Spa, in an Aston Martin Vantage. He is under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 campaign, but speculation over his future continues. Verstappen will be back in F1 action at the Imola Grand Prix in Italy next weekend. He finished in fourth place at the previous race in Miami, just days after becoming a dad for the first time. Verstappen is currently third in the drivers' championship, behind McLaren's Oscar Pisatri and Lando Norris. He has won the World Drivers' Championship for four straight seasons between 2021 to 2024.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
F1: Oakes' resignation from Alpine came days after police charged brother
Oliver Oakes' resignation as team principal of F1 team Alpine this week came several days after UK police charged his brother with transferring criminal property. Metropolitan Police said William Oakes, 31, was charged on last Friday after being stopped the day before in the Silverstone Park area 'in possession of a large amount of cash.' Police said he was remanded in custody after an appearance before the Northampton Magistrates' Court on Saturday. It wasn't clear who his attorney is to seek comment. Oliver Oakes had joined Alpine from his junior team, Hitech Grand Prix, where William Oakes also was listed as a director. Hitech did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday. READ | Flavio Briatore's comeback: Why the man behind Crashgate is back to lead Alpine Oliver Oakes, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, had been Alpine's team principal for less than a year when his resignation was announced on Tuesday. A day later, the team confirmed it had changed its driver lineup to promote Franco Colapinto for at least the next five Grand Prix races at the expense of Jack Doohan. Alpine is ninth in the F1 constructors' standings after six rounds. The next race weekend is May 16-18 at Imola.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
F1 news: Oscar Piastri issues telling response amid explosive new twist to Jack Doohan's axing
The Aussie driver has been sacked from his seat after just six races. Oscar Piastri has expressed his sympathy for Jack Doohan after his fellow Aussie driver was axed from his seat with Alpine after just six races. The 22-year-old son of motorcycle legend Mick Doohan, Jack failed to score a single point in his six races in 2025, and has been replaced by Franco Colapinto for next week's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Alpine are ninth out of 10 teams heading into the race at Imola, and have bitten the bullet to replace the team's second driver under Pierre Gasly. "I am very proud to have achieved my lifelong ambition to be a professional Formula One driver and I will forever be grateful to the team for helping me achieve this dream," Doohan said in a statement. Oscar Piastri (L) has responded to Jack Doohan's (R) axing, while new Alpine boss Flavio Briatore (centre) has refuted ugly claims. Image: Getty "Obviously, this latest chapter is a tough one for me to take because, as a professional driver, naturally I want to be racing ... We have long-term goals as a team to achieve and I will continue to give my maximum efforts in any way I can to help achieve those. For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch with interest the next five races and keep chasing my own personal goals." Jack Doohan didn't score a point in six F1 races. (Photo by) Oscar Piastri responds to Mick Doohan's sacking Doohan's compatriot Piastri had earlier extended his sympathies to his fellow Aussie. "Coming to F1, especially as a rookie under pressure, I do feel sorry for him in some ways," said the championship leader. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "It's not been the easiest start to the year for him and I know how hard it is to get to F1 in the first place. So I think whatever happens, he can be very proud of the journey so far." New Alpine boss refutes 'completely false' claims Meanwhile, Alpine's new team principal Flavio Briatore has denied suggestions that Oliver Oakes departed the role due to disagreements between the two. Oakes resigned and was replaced by Briatore on Tuesday. Briatore was boss of Alpine when they raced as Benetton and Renault. He won championships with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006. He was instrumental in signing Colapinto from Williams as a reserve driver last January. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 75-year-old remains a controversial figure in the F1 world due to his involvement in the 'Crashgate' scandal in which Renault fixed the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 to allow Alonso to win. He received a lifetime ban, but it was later overturned by a French court in 2010. Flavio Briatore and Oliver Oakes at the Saudi Grand Prix. (Photo by) RELATED: Briatore has taken over Oakes' duties for the interim, and will be supported by Alpine's technical leadership team that includes tech chief David Sanchez, racing director Dave Greenwood and sporting director Richard Lockwood. He took to social media on Wednesday to deny claims of a falling out between himself and Oakes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "A lot has been said in the past 24 hours incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views," Briatore wrote. "This is completely false and far from the truth. "Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together. We respect Oli's request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature. "I will continue to be more involved with the team, together with the strong management we already have in place. We will work hard on improving our position this season and preparing for 2026." with agencies
7NEWS
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Aussie youngster Jack Doohan issues classy response after F1 axing from Alpine
Speculation has turned to confirmation with Australian Jack Doohan relieved of his Formula One driving duties. The 22-year-old son of motorcycle great Mick, had yet to score a point in his six races in 2025 for the Alpine team, who are ninth in the 10-team standings. It was announced on Wednesday that Doohan will be replaced in the seat by Franco Colapinto, with the Argentine joining Pierre Gasly in pink for next week's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. 'I am very proud to have achieved my lifelong ambition to be a professional Formula One driver and I will forever be grateful to the team for helping me achieve this dream,' Doohan said. 'Obviously, this latest chapter is a tough one for me to take because, as a professional driver, naturally I want to be racing ... We have long-term goals as a team to achieve and I will continue to give my maximum efforts in any way I can to help achieve those. 'For now, I will keep my head down, keep working hard, watch with interest the next five races and keep chasing my own personal goals.' Earlier on Wednesday, championship leader Oscar Piastri expressed his sympathy for his fellow Australian. 'Coming to F1, especially as a rookie under pressure, I do feel sorry for him in some ways,' McLaren driver Piastri told ABC TV from England. 'It's not been the easiest start to the year for him and I know how hard it is to get to F1 in the first place. 'So I think whatever happens, he can be very proud of the journey so far.' The shake-up at Alpine continues after team principal Oliver Oakes resigned and was replaced by Italian Flavio Briatore on Tuesday. Briatore, 75, was boss of Alpine when they raced as Benetton and Renault and won championships with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995 and Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006. He was also instrumental in signing Colapinto from Williams as reserve last January. Briatore remains a controversial figure in F1 due to his involvement in the 'Crashgate' scandal in which Renault fixed the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to allow Alonso to win. He received a lifetime ban but that was overturned by a French court in 2010. While Doohan is 19th in the drivers' standings after two retirements and a best finish of 14th, Piastri is 16 points clear at the top in the wake of four wins in the first six rounds. A third successive victory at Miami at the weekend has fired expectations back home that Piastri will become the first Aussie world champion since Alan Jones in 1980. The 24-year-old, who was born and raised in Melbourne, made it clear that he was not about to get carried away by the hype. 'It's still incredibly early in the season, we're only 25 per cent of the way through,' he said. 'The position we're in is nice, the race wins we've had are nice, but I think the effort and the hard work that's gone on behind the scenes to achieve all that is what I'm most satisfied with. 'There's still some things to improve and not everything's gone exactly how I wanted it, but I'm excited for what the rest of the season has to come.'
