Formula 1 News: Briatore ‘really angry’ with Ralf Schumacher

(GMM) Ralf Schumacher (pictured) has revealed he is now being blanked by Flavio Briatore, after criticizing the 75-year-old Alpine advisor and defacto team boss earlier this year.

The 50-year-old German, a former Formula 1 race winner, has become one of Sky Deutschland’s most outspoken pundits. Back in May, he declared that Briatore was “too old” to return to the paddock as a full-time team boss.

Now, Schumacher, earlier blacklisted by Aston Martin over another round of critical remarks, says the relationship is broken.

“Flavio Briatore is not talking to me now,” he admitted. “He is really angry with me because he misunderstood what I said.

“I just said that people like Flavio and, for that matter, Christian Horner, cannot be role models on their own. We need to follow the example of McLaren.”

He insists his point was about modern leadership in an ever-more-complex F1.

“Someone has to do the marketing, work with people, attract the personnel that Andrea Stella needs,” Schumacher explained. “That’s what I meant, and it’s not just about Flavio, it’s also about Horner.

“It has nothing to do with age. I like Flavio, and of course he won’t be able to do this for another 100 years. But times have just changed.”

Earlier this year, Schumacher backed Alpine’s controversial move to promote rookie Franco Colapinto, but argued that Briatore was “too old” to take on the team principal role on a daily basis following his 2023 heart surgery.