Flavio Briatore and Fernando Alonso share fond memories of the Spaniard’s consecutive title-winning feats of the 2005 and 2006 F1 seasons, and the Italian executive has recently revealed his frustrations with how the current Aston Martin driver is portrayed in the media.
Alonso’s reputation in F1 changed in the years following his championship feats, with his fierce battle against McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton during the 2007 season being the main catalyst for it.
The pair spent five and a half seasons together over two separate stints at the Enstone-based F1 team before Briatore’s resignation from the team during the 2009 season following allegations relating to the 2008 Crashgate scandal.
Now 44 years old and still performing at the top of his game, Alonso has hinted at retirement if Aston Martin builds a competitive car for the upcoming season. The Spaniard wants one more opportunity to secure a third world title that has eluded him for the majority of his career.
READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2
Flavio Briatore notes how ‘upset’ he gets over Fernando Alonso’s portrayal in the media
Briatore offered Alonso a seat at Renault in 2003 in place of the fan-favourite Jenson Button, much to the dismay of the media who were also fans of the British driver’s exploits.
Speaking to ESPN regarding Alonso’s impressive career in F1 that has spanned 22 seasons, the Italian executive shared what upsets him about the narrative surrounding Alonso in the media, saying, “Sometimes people put out in the news that Fernando was difficult to manage.
“But this is a lot of rubbish, really. I am completely upset whenever I hear this. Fernando is always a teammate. He’s always making everyone work together. The demonstration is now at Aston Martin.
“The car is not competitive, but he’s always there, pushing. Everyone knows what they need. He’s like a Rottweiler. He’s there all the time.
“You go in one place, and the Rottweiler bites you all the time. That’s Fernando. That’s how he wants to win.”
Whilst the Aston Martin driver is no stranger to getting his elbows out on track, off the track, he is still as classy as ever. Alonso sent a congratulatory message to McLaren ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where his former team had the opportunity to clinch the 2025 constructors’ championship.
Unfortunately for McLaren, the weekend didn’t quite pan out the way that they had expected, and their hopes of clinching a second consecutive constructors’ title will have to wait until the next round of racing in Singapore.
READ MORE: Why Fernando Alonso’s 2001 debut campaign was the best point-less season in Formula 1 history
Fernando Alonso can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an F1 car designed by Adrian Newey
With the 2026 season quickly approaching, all eyes are on what design genius Adrian Newey can build for Aston Martin in his maiden F1 car for the British constructor.
Alonso has seen “mystical” things from within Newey’s office, and has previously expressed his excitement for the debut challenger from the 66-year-old since it was announced that he would be continuing his design career with Aston Martin following an exit from Red Bull last year.
The impact that Newey brings to a team is astronomical, with Alonso stating that he is learning from every conversation with his new design chief.
As well as the new 2026 F1 regulations, Aston Martin are also beginning their collaboration with Honda next year, as the Japanese manufacturer have returned to F1 by supplying engines to the team.
Newey has ample experience with Honda engines through his 18-year tenure at Red Bull. The Austrian constructor utilised the Japanese power units in the final years of Newey’s stint there, which aided them in a successful partnership that saw Max Verstappen win four consecutive drivers’ titles.