Joan Villadelprat: “Briatore opted for Colapinto, not Doohan”

The Spanish, who worked next to Italian for ten years in Benetton, spoke hand with AM850.com and gave his impression on the future of the Argentine and the Australian in Alpine.

If something has Joan Villadeprat is the knowledge of the world of motoring. At almost 70 years old, the Spanish born in Barcelona takes 55 together with the motor sport and, a good part of that time, within Formula 1. At 15 years he first got into a competition workshop and went through infinity of categories. He was part of the Ron Dennis Project Four in F3 and F2 and, when the English merged his team with McLaren, the Spanish landed in the F1. After leaving the Woking Team, it was Tyrrell Manager, Ferrari Mechanics Chief and Operations Director and Sports of Benetton, the team that was led by Flavio Briatore. For ten years it was the right hand of the man who is now the executive advisor of Alpinethe team that has Franco Colapint as a reserve pilot. For the knowledge of the Italian, his opinion about the plan that Flavio can have with the Argentine has a special weight. In hand -to -hand talk with AM850.com, Villadeprat left his feelings.

“Flavio is not in Alpine to spend ten years. He is not the motivator to grow the team and shine in the name of Renault. Flavio is there to stop the blow and do it minimally competitive. One of the things that Flavio surely did is with Colapintexmandamás of F1 and partner of Briatore in several businesses). But this type of managment that Flavio does, as he did with Fernando or with other pilots, is typical of him. The day Alpine will put in another place or another. And if finally the kid has the ability to be a great pilot, he can be world champion with another team. That is what Flavio surely seeks and interests him.

-Then, are Alpine and Colapinto different issues for Flavio?

-It’s another, it has nothing to do with each other, sure. And I tell you that I lived ten years next to Flavio, I was his right and left hand. And 20 million is cheap. It is true that Franco has had flashes of brilliance in some other career. For a pilot who does not know the circuits, who first climbs an F1, with a teammate who is considered fast as Albon is and quickly, at his level and sometimes higher, he means that he has capacities To, if it is progressive, ready and grows as normal because of its age, it has flashes of having great potential. Now, these flashes are seen with people and then everything goes to hell. But there it is. And I think Flavio opted for the following Fernando or the following Schumacher. And if he had been to his side, he would have been the first to say: ‘Bet on him’.

–And you also saw the flashes?

-Yeah. And seeing the panorama with Ocon and Gasly I would do that sure. I have no doubt, for 20 million, I have no doubts. Imagine that Franco has an entire country behind. Bortoleto is in Brazil, but it is very limited to Brazil, Colapint can cover all of South America: Uruguay, Chile and all these sites. Above, it has charisma, that Formula 1 pilots today have no charisma or do not let them be natural. This is a guy who does not shut up, who speaks, who falls sympathetic, blissful. This is important when selling a product or finding sponsors, Franco can be a brand. Flavio has seen in him many things that can be interesting at economic and sports level.

-Then, is Flavio the manager of Colapinto, regardless of Alpine?

-Yeah.

-And will it go up instead of Doohan?

-Knowing Flavio, I think he doesn’t believe too much in Doohan. And I am not saying that Doohan is bad, much less, because it is not. But Flavio does not believe in Doohan and on the first chance he will put him. And if he made a contract with Doohan in which he has the possibility of lowering it, he will go down and put in Colapinto, you have no doubt. Because he opted for Coalpinto, he didn’t bet on Doohan.

-Then, the bet is BriTore, not from Alpine

-I think so.

-BRIATORE is a very complete character …

-Complex. Complete, I don’t know, but complex yes.

–Of course, he said he is a person who can see flashes in a pilot and create something behind and also has the 2008 Singapore crashgate in the same backpack.

-And so much … Singapore is in the same backpack. And now, because it is Domenicali (Stefano, CEO of F1), because surely they would never have let it enter the F1 again. But well, that must have learned too.

-And Franco’s mistakes in Brazil and Las Vegas?

-He had more errors at the end than at the beginning. Perhaps in the end he felt so empowered, so sure that this caused incidents. This is also needed by a pilot to learn that sometimes you do not have to overcome the car, when you are overcoming your way of driving, you exceed the car. And surely it is what he did. Everything is experience. But he didn’t have a full year. We will see how this year goes, how many races will be Doohan on the court, but the bench is hot.

-If I had to bet, does Doohan not end the year?

-I tell you that three or four races, maximum. It depends on the car and the results. And it depends on the distance between Gasly and Doohan, there is the mother of the lamb. And if it puts points or not. If it does not put points and the car is competitive to add, Flavio will quickly make the changes.

-Then Flavio handles the team, Oliver Oakes, the director is …

-The who manages the team is Flavio in decisions of this type and global, surely, because he has the power of De Meo, the president of Renault, who was the one who put Flavio to clean the house. And it was Flavio who put Okes in there. In that sense, Flavio … Flavio only talks to De Meo and the rest only he makes decisions.

–There is talk of whether Doohan will be competitive, but Colapint also arrives with sponsors, is that also key?

-That’s the most complicated, when there is a sponsors. Doohan does not have, he is all hair. Then it is very easy to put two clauses in which, if you want, you can go down to the second race.

-It is ugly to be doohan to this panorama, because even going well they can download it the same.

-Very easy, they can do it politically. And I repeat, Doohan is not bad. I was recently in the tests they did in Barcelona and I talked to people who are from my time there. And they told me that Doohan is doing very well. But here there are other factors. If Flavio made the investment, he has to upload it. This is my impression, so I know the character. I may be wrong and everything is normal and Doohan a fantastic and collapth year ago is reserve in case someone hurts. But I find it hard to believe with Flavio.