Briatore sees Red Bull ahead and Alonso champion in 2012
Flavio Briatore estimated at the end of January that Red Bull would be 2 to 3 tenths ahead of Ferrari, which would allow the Spaniard, according to him, to edge out Sebastian Vettel at the post for a third world crown.
Last October, Flavio Briatore stated: “I really can’t wait for the championship to end because it’s becoming boring, but I don’t think it will be very different next year. With the same regulations, I don’t see how [Ferrari] can close the gap on Red Bull and McLaren – in 17 years I’ve never seen a team make up 6 or 7 tenths in just two months.”
At the end of January, invited to make a prediction on the show La Politica nel Pallone on the Italian radio station RAI, the Italian had a noticeably more optimistic stance regarding the chances of seeing Ferrari and Fernando Alonso compete with Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel: « Red Bull has started with a significant advantage and they have worked calmly over the last two months. I see Ferrari two or three tenths behind. If it’s like that at the first race, then they could win the championship because Red Bull is never as strong as they are in the early races of the season, even though they have a team capable of improving over time. »
But the former iconic boss of Benetton and Renault insists that Ferrari must be clear about the hierarchy between its drivers to achieve its objectives: Massa’s season has been disappointing, but before his accident, he was always very good. However, the second driver must be in harmony with Fernando as well as with the team, and contribute. In short, [if I were in charge of Ferrari] I wouldn’t worry about who is next to Fernando but only about giving the Spaniard the most competitive car possible. Only one driver can win the championship, so the team should focus its attention on one driver only. Alonso has the necessary talent to recover two or three tenths in a race.
But, although he has been the subject of persistent rumors since his eviction from Formula One following the Singapore Crashgate, Flavio Briatore is no longer Fernando Alonso’s boss and does not intend to return to business: « I will not return to head a team, I no longer have the motivation to put on the helmet and discuss with the engineers… » This does not prevent him from still offering his good advice to his former colleagues: « The teams need to realize that we are going through a global crisis and that it is possible to ensure the same spectacle with one zero less in the budget, thereby bringing young people closer to this sport, who have fallen out of love with racing cars. »
