Briatore heads Alpine in Italy – but not as team principal

Flavio Briatore heads into this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the helm of the embattled Alpine team – but he is not team principal, an employee or even a licence holder in Formula 1.

Alpine’s former team principal, Briton Oliver Oakes, resigned on 6 May, citing “personal reasons”.

Briatore, who is employed on a consultancy basis by parent company Renault, is “covering the duties previously performed by Oakes”, Alpine has said.

But it has emerged he is not the person responsible for the team in the eyes of governing body the FIA.

He cannot be – because he is not a member of staff, and does not hold an F1 licence, as is required of people in such authority by the FIA’s competitor’s staff registration system.

In the absence of a new team principal, racing director Dave Greenwood is the “dedicated responsible person”, an Alpine spokesperson said.

Greenwood rejoined Alpine in January from Oakes’ HiTech organisation. He had previously been at Ferrari, Manor/Marussia, and Renault, where he worked under Briatore.

Asked why Briatore is not a staff member or licence holder, an Alpine spokesperson said: “Flavio came into the team as executive adviser and remains a consultant. There’s nothing more to it, or to read into it.”

An FIA spokesperson said: “Alpine have complied with all regulatory requirements relating to the departure of Mr Oakes, and have submitted their updated staff registration.

“We believe it is down to Alpine to provide an update on their management structure so we will not comment on any specific person holding a certificate of registration.”

Briatore remains the de facto boss of Alpine F1, with ultimate authority under Renault Group chief executive officer Luca de Meo.

The 75-year-old Italian was brought in last summer to turn the team’s ailing fortunes around.

It was a controversial appointment.

Briatore led two previous guises of this team to a total of four world-title doubles – two as Benetton in 1994-95 with Michael Schumacher, and two as Renault in 2005-06 with Fernando Alonso.

But he is notorious for his involvement in the so-called ‘crash-gate’ scandal, when Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed his Renault during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix as part of a plan to advantage team-mate Alonso, who went on to win the race.

The plot did not become public knowledge until a year later, when Briatore was given an indefinite ban from the sport by the FIA.

This was overturned by a French court in 2010, but Briatore had had no active involvement in F1 since, other than as a behind-the-scenes managerial adviser to Alonso.

Teams have to submit their proposals for the identity of six “main members” of staff to the FIA for approval – a team principal, sporting director, technical director, team manager and two race engineers.

The so-called competitor’s staff registration system, which is designated under the FIA practice directions, is in place to “preserve and protect the FIA Formula 1 World Championship”.

The FIA has the right to refuse a certificate of registration if someone is “under a disciplinary sanction” or “in breach of the FIA code of good standing”.

These decisions are subject to appeal.

The FIA lists a series of examples “which might constitute an infringement of this code”.