"If you are going to tell a lie, tell a believable lie": Fans react to Alpine boss disavowing any involvement in Crashgate scandal

F1 fans online have reacted to Alpine boss Flavio Briatore denying any involvement in the "Crashgate" scandal, with not many believing the Italian boss' claims. The 75-year-old was found guilty for his involvement in the race-fixing incident by the FIA, but has always denied any wrongdoing.

"Crashgate" was one of the worst cases of race-fixing in F1 history, where Renault asked Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash on purpose to help Fernando Alonso win the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, with help of the resulting safety car. What was seen as an accident at the time, was revealed to be a conspiracy, when Piquet Jr. shared details of the actions after being let go by Renault in 2009.

Flavio Briatore, who was managing director at Renault at the time, denied any wrongdoing but was found guilty by the FIA and banned from F1 indefinitely. This judgement was overturned by a French court in 2010, and Briatore has now returned to the F1 paddock, as senior advisor at Alpine, Renault's current F1 outfit.

Upon his return, and after taking full control of the Alpine F1 team following team boss Oliver Oakes' resignation, Briatore has still maintained that he did not ask Piquet Jr. to crash in Singapore in 2008. [via Racefans.net]

“He and I never spoke," Briatore told Corriere della Sera.

When asked if the two ever speak now, he responded:

"No, I’m not interested. I didn’t even speak to him much when he was driving for me."

Fans online have reacted to this recent comment by Briatore, with not many believing the Alpine boss' story.

stupidflanders

@stupidflanders

If you are going to tell a lie, tell a believable lie

Harry

@HT2077404

Richard Nixon also said he wasn't a crook

Here are some more reactions:

DDKindleVille

@KindleDd

We know he did. It destroyed Nelson Piquet's reputation & career. No one would lie knowing that those were the consequences. Flavio & Alonso are still joined at the hip. They are a stain on F1. Neither should be there

Y?

@Yopsycles

Rewriting history but he shouldn’t be allowed in the paddock to spin his tales.

BasCB

@Logist_BCB

Interesting he feels the need to lie his way back into "normalcy"

In 2009, Piquet Jr. has claimed that Briatore has told him that if he crashed at "the right moment", things could work in their team's favor. Fernando Alonso, who ultimately benefited from the incident, denied knowing about the plan, and was also cleared by the FIA of any wrongdoing.

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Flavio Briatore claims Alpine is in search of a new team principal

Flavio Briatore with Christian Horner at the Spanish Grand Prix - Press Conference - Source: Getty

Flavio Briatore has revealed that Alpine are looking for a new team principal after Oliver Oakes resigned from the post for personal reasons. The Italian has taken over the running of the French F1 outfit in the meantime, and attended his first team principal's press conference ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Speaking about finding a new team principal, and the department of Oakes, Briatore told the media:

"We’re looking. For the moment, nothing changed. I feel sorry for Ollie, honestly, because I had a very good relationship with him. He was a good team principal. Everybody knows for personal reasons he stopped and resigned from Alpine."

"We’re looking. We don’t want to make any mistake. I’m prepared to take some time. But the moment we decide what is the new team manager, put in this way, we’ll tell you." he added.

While Briatore's official title at Alpine is that of an executive advisor, the Italian seemigly has more de facto power to make decisions than anyone else at Enstone. He is the brains behind the driver rotation policy at the team for example, because of which Jack Doohan was replaced by Franco Colapinto after just six races in the 2025 season.