Flavio Briatore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flavio Briatore
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Briatore in 2009
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| Born | 12 April 1950 Verzuolo, Piedmont, Italy
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| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) |
Elisabetta Gregoraci
(m. 2008; separated 2017) |
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| Children | 2, including Leni Klum |
Flavio Briatore (born 12 April 1950) is an Italian businessman. He is currently an executive adviser and team leader for Alpine in Formula One. Briatore was a longtime team principal for the Team Enstone (Benetton Formula / Renault F1 Team) racing team. He led the team to win three World Constructors' Championships and four World Drivers' Championships.
Briatore started his career managing restaurants and selling insurance in Italy. He later worked for the Benetton clothing company. He helped them expand their stores in the United States. This experience led him to join Benetton's Formula One team. From 2007 to 2011, he was also a part-owner and chairman of the English football team Queens Park Rangers.
Early Life and Career
Briatore was born in Verzuolo, Italy. His parents were school teachers. He studied Land Surveying and later worked as a ski instructor and restaurant manager. He opened his own restaurant, but it closed down.
In the 1970s, Briatore moved to Milan. There, he met Luciano Benetton, who founded the Benetton clothing company. When Benetton started expanding into the United States in 1979, Briatore was chosen to lead their operations there. He helped open many Benetton stores. He became very successful by helping set up these new stores.
Formula One Journey
Leading Benetton Formula
In 1985, the Benetton family bought a Formula One team. They renamed it Benetton Formula. Briatore wasn't interested in racing at first. But in 1989, the Benetton family asked him to manage the team's business side. By 1991, he was in charge of the whole team. He even owned a part of it.
Under Briatore's leadership, Benetton Formula became a top team. They won three world championships. Briatore was known for his smart business ideas. He also thought of ways to make races more exciting.
Building a Strong Team
Briatore was very good at the business side of racing. He brought together a "super team" of talented engineers at Benetton. He hired famous designers like John Barnard. Even when some engineers left, he convinced them to come back. He also hired important people like Tom Walkinshaw and Ross Brawn. In 1992, the team moved to a new building in Enstone, Oxfordshire.
Briatore was also known for being tough when hiring and letting go of drivers. Many drivers felt his strong approach over the years.
Bringing in Michael Schumacher
Briatore brought a new driver named Michael Schumacher to the Benetton team in 1991. Schumacher had only raced once in F1 before. Briatore believed Schumacher could be the best. He built the team around him.
Schumacher's move to Benetton was a bit complicated. But Briatore won a legal challenge. This allowed him to sign the talented German driver. Briatore also made room for Schumacher by changing drivers on the team.
Winning Championships
As the team got better, Schumacher won races in 1992 and 1993. He then won the World Drivers' Championship in 1994 and 1995.
During the 1994 season, Benetton faced some questions about their cars. There were rules against certain electronic aids. It was later found that Benetton's cars had some software that was not allowed. However, it was not clear if they ever used it. Schumacher also received a ban for two races that year. He won his first championship after a collision with another driver in the final race.
After Schumacher's 1994 win, Briatore helped Benetton get even stronger. He bought the Ligier team. This helped Benetton get powerful Renault engines. With Renault engines, Benetton won the Constructors' Championship in 1995. Schumacher also won his second Drivers' Championship that year.
Leaving Benetton
Schumacher left Benetton for Scuderia Ferrari before the 1996 season. Some key engineers also followed him. Briatore then signed other drivers, but the Benetton team's performance dropped. In 1997, Briatore was replaced as team principal.
Briatore sold his shares in Benetton. He then led a company called Supertec from 1998 to 2000. Supertec supplied older Renault engines to other F1 teams.
Leading Renault F1
In 2000, Renault decided to return to Formula One. They bought the Benetton Formula team. Briatore came back as the managing director and team principal. The team raced as Benetton-Renault in 2001. Then, it became Renault F1 in 2002.
At Renault, Briatore continued to make big decisions about drivers. In 2003, he brought in Fernando Alonso, who later became a two-time world champion. Briatore also managed other famous drivers like Mark Webber.
Alonso left Renault for a rival team in 2007. Briatore stayed with Renault for the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Challenges and Return
In 2009, Briatore resigned from Renault after a controversy. This was related to an incident during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The FIA (the sport's governing body) banned him from F1 events. However, a French court later overturned this ban.
Even though the court allowed him to return, Briatore did not work in F1 for fifteen years. During this time, he often shared his opinions about Formula One. He believed the sport should be more entertaining for fans. He thought it focused too much on hidden technology.
In May 2024, Briatore returned to the Enstone team, which is now called Alpine F1 Team. He was given the role of Executive Advisor for the Formula One Division. Many people in F1 welcomed his return.
Since returning, Briatore has worked to reduce costs at Alpine. He has made changes to help the team become stronger. As of May 2025, he is acting as the team principal for Alpine.
Beyond Formula One
Business Ventures
Briatore has many business interests outside of Formula One. Many of these are in fashion and luxury.
He created the Billionaire brand in 1998. This included a nightclub in Sardinia and a luxury clothing line. He also opened a restaurant in London. He owns a beach club in Tuscany and a holiday resort in Kenya.
Briatore used to own a luxury yacht called Force Blue. However, the Italian government took the yacht in 2010 due to a tax issue. In 2021, the government sold the yacht to his friend Bernie Ecclestone.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club
In 2007, Briatore became involved with the English football club Queens Park Rangers (QPR). On 1 September 2007, it was announced that Briatore, along with Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal, had bought the club. Briatore became the club's chairman.
After his ban from F1, the Football League (which governs football clubs) looked into his role at QPR. They have rules about who can own a club. Briatore stepped down from his role at QPR in February 2010. He later said that investing in a football club was very expensive.
Personal Life
Family
Briatore has been married three times. He has two children: Leni Klum (born 2004) and Falco Nathan Briatore (born 2010).
He was engaged to supermodel Naomi Campbell. He also briefly dated supermodel Heidi Klum, who is Leni's mother. For many years, Leni's stepfather, Seal, was very involved in her life. In 2009, Briatore agreed for Seal to adopt Leni.
In recent years, Briatore and Leni have been in contact. In October 2024, Briatore and Klum opened a pizzeria together in Manhattan.
Homes and Other Activities
Briatore lives in Monaco. He has lived there since around 2010. He likes Monaco because of its business environment.
In 2019, Briatore started a political group called Movimento del Fare.
See also
In Spanish: Flavio Briatore para niños
- The Apprentice (Italian TV series)
