Briatore has been working directly for Domenicali at FOM/F1 as a consultant since 2021, which was also officially announced via Twitter at the time, even Horner congratulated Flavio with a tweet. (
https://www.speedweek.com/formel1/n...-Flavio-Briatore-zurueck-in-der-Formel-1.html)
It's a bit funny how people from F1 are only now getting upset, although he has been in the paddock regularly in his official role for FOM/F1 for the last 2.5 years and was often seen before beeing back in a official role. Especially in Baku, Monaco, etc. with "important" guests, he is almost always in the paddock club networking. (
https://www.instagram.com/billionaire_baku_event)
After he and Symonds were acquitted in court in 2010 of the "lifetime ban" imposed by the FIA in 2009, they threatened to sue the FIA for damages. Before this was realised, a settlement was negotiated out of court, i.e. the FIA paid the two of them a rumoured 6 to 7-figure sum to have peace of mind and was then allowed to say publicly that the two would not be able to return to the tracks until 2012 so as not to lose face in public. (
https://www.speedweek.com/formel1/n...-Flavio-Briatore-zurueck-in-der-Formel-1.html)
Briatore had already finalised the deal for 2016 between F1 (then still with Bernie) and Baku to host the GP there. He had excellent connections to the despotic Aliyev presidential family and continues to collect $5 million (according to Joe Saward) as commission every time the GP is held. In addition, no doubt purely by coincidence, he has his Billionaire nightclub within walking distance of the track and organises annual promotional events to coincide with the F1 race. (
https://www.motorsport-total.com/fo...briatore-in-baku-millionen-scheffelt-17062908)
He continues to manage Alonso, so he was certainly directly involved in the story surrounding Alonso's departure from Alpine and Piastri's cancellation.
Always in business and has never been away from F1.