Red Bull 'opposed' to Briatore's budget cap idea

Jun.9 (GMM) Flavio Briatore thinks Formula 1 should include driver salaries in the budget cap.

The 75-year-old Italian, who after a long break and even a ban returned to the sport as Alpine’s executive advisor, agrees that limiting the amount teams can spent is “good”.

However, Briatore added: “I also believe the salary of the driver should be part of it – not only what we have now.”

According to the well-connected De Telegraaf newspaper, however, Red Bull – who pay Max Verstappen tens upon tens of millions of dollars per year – is “totally opposed” to Briatore’s idea.

Indeed, Briatore also admitted that if he could choose any driver to sign to Alpine, he would actually have “two Verstappens – because I have two cars”.

With a more level playing field in terms of driver salary spending, Briatore thinks Alpine could move to the front of the grid even faster than he is predicting.

“I promised (Renault CEO) Luca (de Meo) that in two, three years, the team would be on the podium, or very close to the podium,” he told the New York Times.

Nonetheless, he thinks Alpine can eventually beat each and every current team and become world champion.

“Why not? Sure,” the flamboyant Italian insisted.

“If you see the teams in front of us, they’re nothing special. It’s only people – more committed, less distracted.

“It has not been easy at this team,” Briatore added. “Hiring people, firing people, no order, no direction, nothing. Everybody was in charge, nobody was in charge.

“We lost a lot of good people, but now, little by little, they are coming back to us.”