Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore has never been someone to keep his opinions to himself in the Formula 1 paddock.
Before Briatore returned to F1 with Alpine last season, the team were staring at a depressing battle with Sauber to avoid being the slowest outfit on the grid.
Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon qualified on the back row in Bahrain but a lot has changed in the past 12 months.
Ocon has moved on to Haas although Briatore has delivered a warning to Jack Doohan with the rookie’s Formula 1 future already under threat.
The Italian has recruited four drivers to join Alpine’s ranks this year, with Franco Colapinto the most likely to replace Doohan if the Australian doesn’t live up to expectations.
Doohan has been told what Alpine require from him to survive beyond the first three races but Briatore has developed a reputation for being ruthless when it comes to driver changes.
While that might be the case, Briatore has never hidden his admiration for some of the sport’s greatest drivers.
He won two world championships with Fernando Alonso and poached Michael Schumacher from Jordan after his F1 debut.
Max Verstappen is the latest driver that Briatore has shared his excitement about in an interview with F1 Insider.
The Red Bull star is a four-time world champion and hoping to match Schumacher’s record of winning five consecutive titles.
However, Verstappen’s driving style has been criticised after clashes with Lando Norris throughout last season.
Briatore believes people should be thankful for the Dutchman’s impact on the sport, rather than negatively critiquing him.
Flavio Briatore defends Max Verstappen from ‘totally stupid’ driving style criticism
Briatore was asked how much Verstappen reminds him of Michael Schumacher and he replied: “He reminds me of Michael, of Fernando, of [Ayrton] Senna.
“He is exactly what Formula 1 needed. Everyone criticizes this boy for his spectacular driving style.
“That’s totally stupid! He brought new energy to the sport. Formula 1 desperately needed this new star.”
READ MORE: Who is Alpine’s F1 executive adviser Flavio Briatore? Everything to know
Briatore then elaborated on whether there were similarities between Verstappen and the seven-time world champion and said: “Definitely. At one point, Michael was even on the verge of a fight with Senna; during a test in Germany, Senna went for his collar.
“He told him that he was the world champion and that Michael should have more respect. Michael didn’t care.
“He wanted to gain respect for himself and that’s why he drove so aggressively. That’s the only way to become world champion.”
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull future could be playing a part in Flavio Briatore’s defence
It’s no secret that Verstappen’s camp and Red Bull aren’t completely aligned on his future.
While Verstappen’s Red Bull contract runs until the end of 2028, there are options and performance clauses that would allow for an early exit.
Mercedes and Aston Martin have both been linked with Verstappen, however, he’s never suggested that he would be interested in joining either team.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Briatore is an expert at negotiating the driver’s market and had he joined Alpine sooner last year, Carlos Sainz might have been driving alongside Gasly instead of Doohan.
He has aspirations of Alpine winning a championship in the next few years and will know that he needs a driver of Verstappen’s calibre to achieve that goal.
Making it clear publicly that he endorses his aggressive driving style doesn’t put him above Christian Horner in terms of his support, but does at least set out his stall that he would be willing to fight for him in the same way he fought for Schumacher.
