Press: Binotto to Aston Martin, Newey and Briatore to Alpine?

Former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore is tipped to make a sensational return to the sport, joining the struggling Alpine outfit to take on a “special supervisor” role.

According to Italian publication Corriere della Sera, Renault CEO Luca di Meo targets to hire Flavio Briatore to help turn the team around.

The Enstone-based outfit has endured a very difficult start to the 2024 season, having failed to score points in the first five races. The team's A524 has been overweight and has not produced the downforce level the team has hoped for after winter.

Currently, Bruno Famin heads the Anglo-French outfit, and former Ferrari and McLaren technical chief David Sanchez has recently joined the squad to head its technical department.

However, Renault CEO Luca di Meo is reported to try to secure the services of Flavio Briatore who could work as a "special supervisor" for the team to get Alpine back to the right development path.

Briatore is still actively involved in Formula One as Fernando Alonso's manager. In recent years, the Italian has frequently made appearances in the F1 paddock in attendance of the two-time world champion.

The Italian businessman started his career as a restaurant manager and insurance salesman in Italy. In 1990, he was promoted by Luciano Benetton to manage the Benetton Formula One racing team, which became Renault F1 in 2002.

From 2007 to 2011, he was part-owner and chairman of London's Queens Park Rangers. In September 2009, Briatore was forced to resign from the Renault F1 team due to his involvement in race fixing at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.

After the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) conducted its own investigation, Briatore was banned indefinitely from any events sanctioned by the FIA, although this ban was later overturned by a French Tribunal de Grande Instance.

It recent days, it has emerged that Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has elected against signing Adrian Newey. Red Bull's Chief Technical Officer announced his departure from the Milton Keynes-based outfit at the beginning of May, although he will stay with the team until the end of the first quarter of next year.

The Briton has hinted that he might take a break after his departure, but might come back with another team. Ferrari has been tipped to be Newey's favoured option as he could fulfil two of his dreams, working for Ferrari and with Lewis Hamilton. However, recent reports indicated that Vasseur and Newey abandoned their talks, and the Briton could join Alpine instead.

Elsewhere, former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto is also tipped to make a comeback in the near future.

Accoring to Italian publication, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Binotto was spotted at Aston Martin's motorhome during the weekend of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, where he spoke at length with team owner Lawrence Stroll.

The Italian left Ferrari at the end of 2022 which was a difficult season for the Scuderia. The team started the year with the quickest car, but it was unable to keep up with Red Bull in the development race, and strategy errors and reliability issues prevented Charles Leclerc to stay in the championship fight with Max Verstappen.

According to the reports, Binotto could now make a return to the sport, taking on the role as Chief Technical Officer (CTO), a position that is currently unmanned at Aston Martin following the departure of Andrew Green early last year.