Former Benetton and Renault boss Flavio Briatore has returned to the Formula 1 (F1) motor racing series with the Renault-backed Alpine team, where the Italian businessman will be the new executive advisor.

Briatore, now 74, initially served as Benetton’s team boss through the 1990s, achieving title success through Michael Schumacher.

Briatore was replaced by David Richards in 1997, before re-joining when Renault took over the Enstone-based squad in 2000 as their team principal (Renault was named as such until 2021, when it transitioned to Alpine).

Briatore also won titles with Fernando Alonso in the mid-2000s, before resigning in 2009 due to a race-fixing scandal at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

After the FIA governing body conducted an investigation, Briatore was banned indefinitely from any events sanctioned by the FIA, although the ban was later overturned by a French Tribunal.

Briatore also was part-owner and chairman of London's Queens Park Rangers soccer team from 2007 to 2011.

An Alpine statement said that Briatore will predominantly focus on top-level areas of the team, including scouting top talents and providing insights on the driver market, challenging the existing project by assessing the current structure, and advising on some strategic matters within the sport.”

The Alpine team have had a difficult start to the 2024 season, scoring five points in nine rounds so far, leaving them eighth in the constructors’ standings.

Last month Alpine announced a new partnership with performance compression war brand Hytro focused on the sporting side, with Hytro providing its blood flow restriction (BFR) wearables to Alpine F1 drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, as well as their pit crews.

Also recently, Alpine’s F1 and World Endurance teams agreed a partnership with online trading brand Infinox to serve as their official CFD global trading partner.

The deal involves Infinox branding on the BWT Alpine F1 Team racing car, drivers’ and mechanics’ suits, team collateral, and at-track assets.