Flavio replaced at Renault, but goes to......Asiatech.....

steve nielsen · 2 Jul 2001, 19:23 (Ref:112207)

Briatore Out the Door July 2 2001 19:52
Flavio Briatore has already left Benetton according to our sources

Benetton boss Flavio Briatore has already left the Benetton team to be replaced by Renault Sport managing director Christian Contzen, with the announcement coming tomorrow.

F1i.com exclusively reported Briatore’s impending departure from the team over the French Grand Prix weekend, and now our sources suggest that the Enstone team has replaced him with Contzen.

According to our sources, Briatore will take the helm of Asiatech – the engine manufacturer that currently supplies powerplants to Arrows. It is widely believed that Asiatech will sign a deal to work with prost Grand Prix next season, however, and so this will be Briatore’s eventual destination.

Contzen has been a Renault employee for more than 40 years, and joined the French marque as an after-sales representative in 1960. He worked his way up to the position of marketing director of Renault by 1987 and in 1991 became the managing director of Renault Sport. Contzen was in charge during Renault’s halcyon period – the mid-1990s, when Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all won the Drivers championship with Renault power.

This season Renault has returned to Formula 1, buying the Benetton team and running its radical 111-degree engine in the Benetton chassis. This is building towards the renaming of the team and a full works Renault assault in 2002.

While 2001 was always intended to be a development year, but the Benetton team has still fallen way below its expectations and accusations have reportedly gone back and forth within the team as to where the problem lies. The Renault engine has proved slow and unreliable, but the B201 has also had aerodynamic and chassis problems and the team has not made the progress it has aimed at.

Contzen may be seen as the answer.
--------------------------

F1i.com

So, will Renault improve??, or will Asiatech improve??

Quino · 2 Jul 2001, 20:57 (Ref:112244)

I don't know

Businessman Briatore gets replaced by technician Contzen.

Contzen has proven his value to a Renault F1-engine in the past. Chances are he will do it again, allthough it'll prove a huge challenge.

Perhaps Briatore will be able to pull Asiatech out of obscurity. He did do a reasonable good job at Supertec doing just that. Asiatech however, needs a solid tecnical base which will provide a developmentstrategy and goal for the long run. At the moment they are squeesing a Peugeot-engine. Making it reliable, but not competitive and above all, not able to keep up with the steady upgrades other enginemanufactures are presenting (allthough Honda now also is concentrating on 2002).

All in all Asiatech still isn't a safe bet.

**Bononi** · 2 Jul 2001, 22:04 (Ref:112281)

Prost/Diniz/Briatore

This won't work.

Valve Bounce · 2 Jul 2001, 22:47 (Ref:112303)

Quote:

Originally posted by Bononi
Prost/Diniz/Briatore

This won't work.

Why?? Do you think Pedro will drive one, or both of them crazy?

Mekola · 2 Jul 2001, 23:47 (Ref:112319)

Briatore with Prost?
Now I understand why Viladelprat is with that team. I expect the genius of Briatore will help Prost-Asiatech to obtain many sponsors.

EERO · 3 Jul 2001, 00:49 (Ref:112343)

Recall that Flavio Flave once owned Ligier, ran Supertech, its getting weirder and more incestuous. I am convinced that the real imp of He11 is Briatore and not ecclestone.

Minardi fan · 3 Jul 2001, 01:19 (Ref:112349)

Who ate all the pies? FLAV DID!

That man has had fingers EVERYWHERE - Benetton, Prost, Ligier, Minardi, Supertec, and now ASIATECH?!?!

DNQ · 3 Jul 2001, 01:39 (Ref:112352)

Hmm. Strange.

Maxmil · 3 Jul 2001, 12:21 (Ref:112470)

"A source close to Planet F1 informs us that it’s all change at Benetton as Managing Director Flavio Briatore and Mike Gascoyne get their marching orders. It’s understood that flamboyant Flav has already left the building with the Rottweiler close behind."

The is also a story going around that Flavio will head up Asiatech, and another that Asiatech will have its own team next year. Benetton, however is denying everything.

Minardi fan · 3 Jul 2001, 13:14 (Ref:112484)

Looks like Asiatech are gearing up for their full-on F1 assault - if so, this is the last year Prost GP will be on the grid.

**Bononi** · 3 Jul 2001, 14:03 (Ref:112505)

Quote:

Originally posted by Valve Bounce

Why?? Do you think Pedro will drive one, or both of them crazy?

Both for sure !

He's been saying that wants to buy Prost's share... and now ???

Nicholas · 3 Jul 2001, 14:56 (Ref:112523)

Gascoyne's gone too, if anyone's interested.

As for Flav, serves him right. He doesn't deserve to be in charge of a future contender, and this means we won't hear of him for that much longer.

Minardi fan · 3 Jul 2001, 15:11 (Ref:112533)

I wouldn't bet on it - Flav has reinvented himself many a time.

RT · 3 Jul 2001, 16:00 (Ref:112559)

It seems to me that this doesn't bode well for the careers of Giancarlo and Jenson. It was bad enough before, without the ensuing lack of stability coming their way after a change at the top.

At this rate, Jenson will be an old man before Renault gets it right.

Mekola · 3 Jul 2001, 16:51 (Ref:112569)

It's only a weird thing or Briatore is conforming as the new Ecclestone of the F1?

**Bononi** · 3 Jul 2001, 18:49 (Ref:112606)

You bet Mekola.

That's how the whole thing started for Old Bernie...

Tristan · 4 Jul 2001, 11:37 (Ref:112895)

What is it about Flav?? Everyone says "Ohhh, big player in F1. Don't mess with him. He's a very important man"

BUT HANG ON, this fat old man just plods around the back-of-the-grid teams signing up people who never amount to much (probably because of his wierd contract clauses he insists on), tying up talent and not doing very much.
AND YET THE GUY'S REVERED!!!!!! Not a Brigatore fan, me. Always comes over as a bit of a dirty old geezer (but don't ask me, ask Naomi)

**Bononi** · 4 Jul 2001, 11:51 (Ref:112901)

Flavio just a smart guy who managed to be in the right place at the right moment; TGF's Benetton days...

massifheed · 4 Jul 2001, 11:51 (Ref:112902)

Quote:

Originally posted by Minardi fan
Who ate all the pies? FLAV DID!

That man has had fingers EVERYWHERE - Benetton, Prost, Ligier, Minardi, Supertec, and now ASIATECH?!?!

I can think of somewhere else that he has had his fingers, but I don't want to get thrown off this board so I won't say!

Minardi fan · 4 Jul 2001, 12:42 (Ref:112929)

Hey, we were all thinking it...

Maxmil · 4 Jul 2001, 19:32 (Ref:113087)

Quote:

Originally posted by Maxmil
"A source close to Planet F1 informs us that it’s all change at Benetton . . ."

The is also a story going around that Flavio will head up Asiatech, and another that Asiatech will have its own team next year. Benetton, however is denying everything.

And, to end the tale!!

Renault Won't Fire Briatore or Gascoyne
"There is nothing to these rumours"

"Renault Sport president Patrick Faure told AP that they are not fireing team boss Flavio Briatore or technical director Mike Gascoyne despite the many rumours."

Who do you believe??

**Bononi** · 4 Jul 2001, 19:36 (Ref:113089)

The aliens !

again,

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