Christian Horner Reacts as Former Renault Boss Flavio Briatore Teases F1 Return

Despite making quite the impact on Formula One, Flavio Briatore is an individual whom some fans may fail to recall today. The Italian, who found himself in one too many controversies, entered the sport by heading the Benetton F1 team and tasted championship-winning success on multiple occasions.

Recently, he shared a short video on social media which featured F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. This post saw several kind messages, one of which belonged to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

Christian Horner shares a kind message for Flavio Briatore

In 1991, Michael Schumacher made his F1 debut in the Belgian Grand Prix with Jordan. Following the race, Briatore made the biggest move in Benetton’s history by signing the German to his team. He reaped the benefits of his strategy as Schumacher won his first two world titles with the team. In addition, Briatore’s team evolved from being midfield challengers to title contenders.

The Italian also led Renault, the team with which Fernando Alonso won two world titles. While controversy forced Briatore out of the sport, he further vowed never to return to the world of F1. However, he shared a video earlier today which indicated he may have a role to play in the new era of F1, which debuts next year.

Domenicali, who stood beside Briatore, said, “Stay tuned. Lot of fun for the next season in Formula One.” The latter then added, “New energy, new power, new excitement!”

The video garnered several reactions, one of which was Horner‘s. The 47-year-old wrote, “Great to see you back involved.” 

READ MORE: Jenson Button Recalls His ‘Burden’ F1 Years at Benetton Amidst Presence of Flavio Briatore

Can Red Bull end its championship drought this year?

After seven seasons of struggle in the hybrid era, Red Bull finally seem to have a genuine championship contender this year. With Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez churning out excellent results, they could dethrone the Silver Arrows before the new era of F1.

Formula One F1 – Turkish Grand Prix – Intercity Istanbul Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 10, 2021 Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in action during the race REUTERS/Murad Sezer

However, Mercedes showed massive improvement over the season with upgrades improving their car. In addition, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas produced a massive upturn in pace, which could derail Red Bull’s chances.

With six races to go, the title fight looks to go down to the wire. Can the Austrian outfit get a leg up on Mercedes in this weekend’s United States Grand Prix? Only time will tell.

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