Briatore's bold assessment: did Alonso deserve eight championships?

Flavio Briatore has made a striking claim that Fernando Alonso deserved eight F1 championships, though the search results provided do not contain the full details of this assertion. However, context from other recent statements by Briatore illuminates what likely prompted this provocative comment.

The foundation: Alonso's near-misses

Briatore's statement appears rooted in Alonso's extraordinary record of championship near-misses. The Spaniard lost titles at the final race of the season in 2007 (with McLaren) and again in 2010 and 2012 (with Ferrari). Remarkably, across those three seasons alone, Alonso finished just eight points behind the respective champions—a minuscule margin that separates a two-time world champion from potentially being a five-time title winner.

Alonso's complete capability

Briatore, who currently serves as executive adviser and de facto team principal at Alpine, has consistently defended Alonso's status as racing's most complete driver. In recent comments, he emphasized that Alonso remains championship-capable with the right machinery: "If Fernando was sitting in the McLaren or sitting in the Red Bull [this season], I promise you, he'd still be in the race [for the title]".

The Italian executive has also dismissed criticism of Alonso's reputation as a difficult teammate, countering that "Sometimes, the people put the news out that Fernando was very difficult to manage. And this is a lot of rubbish, really". Briatore describes Alonso as a stabilizing force who "keeps the team together."

Briatore's "eight championships" claim underscores his belief that Alonso's raw talent and consistency have consistently transcended the machinery available to him throughout his career.