08x02 - Strictly Business

[bunniefuu]

What you doing here? What I tell you?

What you doing in my house? Go out.

These are the guards, you know?

It's the bodyguards of the house.

When you arrive in the house, you need to
talk with this guy or this guy to go in.

Is it solid gold?

Uh, I... I don't think so.
Look, he's not so solid.

This is some funny picture.

This is me in different situations,
you see?

You like that, eh? Batman.

This is Garibaldi.

My favorite, uh...

Che Guevara.

You know, sure was not the boring life.

My name is Flavio Briatore.

I am the advisor
of the chairman of Renault,

and the name of the team is Alpine.

Hi, guys.

When I started in Formula 1 with Benetton,

I signed Schumacher,
and we won two championships with him.

But this was only possible

because I fired Moreno.

And at Renault,
we won two championships with Alonso,

all because I replaced Jenson Button.

Did you enjoy firing people?

I... I still enjoy
if the people are not doing the job.

Whatever business you're doing,
everybody follows the leader.

And managing Formula 1 people
is exactly the same.

Sometimes you want the stick
and beat everybody in the head.

Flavio is known
as a very controversial character.

He's one of the most ruthless team bosses
in Formula 1 history.

Last season, I came back to Formula 1

to help the team
from the bottom of the championship.

This year, what I'm looking for
is to finish in the first six.

In the 1990s and 2000s,

Flavio gave Formula 1
some brilliant world champions.

He's the last of the old guard,
who plays hard on and off the track.

But how much do those old ways
still ring true in the modern era?

I'm not a dictator,

but you're doing
whatever I tell you to do,

and if somebody's not
in the same direction, they'll be out.

As simple as that.

Okay, give me, like, a beat.

Like...

Pierre Gasly

Gangster from France, Normandy

This season, Jack Doohan is my teammate.

He's a rookie,

so it's always difficult coming in
with no experience,

but he's a great dude, honestly.

I really like him.
Australian, very chilled.

It's a good chance for him.

What are we up to now?

We're gonna reveal the livery
to team sponsors and media.

- And myself.
- And you for the first time.

Any food in the teeth?

f*ck it, let's run it.

It's better like that.

Jack Doohan, Formula 1 driver
for BWT Alpine Formula 1 team.

Bang.

My aspirations this season
are to show what I can do

and obviously prove my worth.

You two will be
the ones revealing the car.

- Okay.
- Then it's the reserve drivers.

The band. The band of reserve drivers.

They can play...
One could sing, drums, and guitar.

How are you? Good to see you.

How are you? You good?

Reserve drivers, we've got a few.

We can probably
put a football team together, so...

Oh!

Why are there so many drivers?

You signed them all.

Every team has reserve drivers
in case the lead drivers can't race.

But this season, in typical Flavio style,

he set about signing up pretty much
every young driver they could find.

And they're just waiting in the wings.

For the new ones,
it's great to have you here.

- You are the only Argentinian.
- I am the only one.

You were a lot better than I thought.

I'm Franco Colapinto,
BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team reserve driver.

Last year in Williams
was a great start to my F1 career.

Stellar job. That was amazing.

Franco Colapinto,
Argentina's first point scorer since 1982.

- Get ready.
- Okay.

It's super to have Colapinto in the team.

Everybody pushing for Franco Colapinto.
Franco, Franco...

But in this moment,
we have, uh, Jack in the car.

So, you know, we'll see.

Okay, can we make one?
Just the official drivers, please.

As a rookie, I think if you underperform,
your future's at stake, for sure.

It is a bit sink or swim.

I just focus on myself,
drive my race car as fast as I can.

- Are the reserves done?
- Yep.

Well, stay here in case we're called upon.

I'm only a reserve driver,
but I want to be driving again.

That's why I came to the team.

And for me to be in,
someone needs to leave.

So I would be happy
to take the seat of anyone.

That's the reality.

They want to do a selfie with Flavio.

Oh, yeah. Great. Of course.

For decades, Formula 1 team principals
have been termed the Piranha Club

because they are ruthless.

They will chew you up,
and they will spit you out.

- Hey, Jack's not even in it.
- Jack, come, come.

And for Flavio, who knows what it is
to operate within this Piranha Club,

when one of his drivers
has a couple of bad races,

they're on thin ice.

You need pushing the button. Come on here.

Bravo.

Jack could be replaced
at any moment by one of these reserves.

So he has to impress Flavio
if he wants to keep his seat.

You gotta watch your back in this sport.

So the Piranha Club is,
I'd say, a pretty accurate description.

Pretty much everybody
is trying to f*ck each other.

Can I ask you for a picture?

Thank you.

- There's nobody stopping him for a selfie.
- Yeah.

Did you notice that?

Piranhas are
small little fishes that bite.

How many drivers you got these days?

He's got, like, a football team.

There's a lot of skulduggery that goes on.

We're here to win.

It's better to k*ll than to be k*lled.

If weekends don't k*ll ya, nothing will.

- Jonathan?
- Yeah?

Are you a member of the Piranha Club?

Who told you that?

- Just wondering.
- Am I a member?

I don't think you're a proper member
unless you're in the WhatsApp group.

Oh dear, you still haven't arrived really.

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal,
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

And if I knew I had to write that much...

...I'd have printed it out
before I got here.

Action.

- Good morning.
- Good morning.

Thank you.

- I think that's yours. That's yours.
- Thank you.

That's mine.

It's been a rollercoaster.

I've only been here a couple of months.
It seems like a heartbeat ago now.

This is my first season for Sauber.

But I started as a mechanic with Benetton,

and I worked my way through the ranks,
ending in sporting director at Red Bull.

- Who'd have thought that back in 1991?
- I know. It's incredible, isn't it?

There's so many people
still there from those days, you know.

Flavio.

Big personality.

Oh. Yeah, he was terrifying
when you were a 20-year-old mechanic.

Flavio was my boss
for a very long period of time.

I learned so much from him.

But he could be incredibly intimidating.

The way I work is different to that.

My approach is to really believe
that a team can achieve incredible things

and create a culture
where positivity is the norm.

You know, because in a positive culture,
it's extraordinary.

It makes the hairs
stand up on the back of your neck

to work in a Formula 1 team

where everything's pushing
in the same direction.

This year, our driver line-up
is tremendously exciting.

The Hulk.

Okay.

Nico Hülkenberg,
Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

I think, at the moment, currently,
I'm the third longest-serving driver,

obviously behind Fernando and Lewis.

I think Jonathan's
a strong leader for the team.

He's been in the business,
I don't know, 30, 35 years,

something like that.

So obviously, he brings
a lot of experience to the table.

It's, uh, yeah,
an interesting dynamic this year.

Uh, I have a new teammate, Gabriel.

He's a new kid on the block.
Uh, he's in his rookie season.

If you don't mind
taking that seat over there.

It's like a job interview.

Please, take a seat.

Tell me, what makes you think
you're suitable for this job?

- Um, I'm Brazilian. I love meat.
- Okay, you're in. You're in.

I'm Gabriel Bortoleto.

I'm racing for Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.

Sometimes it feels
a bit scary to get to Formula 1.

There are so many things to learn.

Talking points for the weekend.

The focus is on optimizing the package
in terms of stability and downforce.

I'm a rookie, you know.

There is a lot of pressure on...
on our shoulders, and... and it's not easy.

We also believe that we have the potential
to challenge for points here in Miami.

This season,
we started in a very difficult way.

We know we are struggling.

- But, uh, Jonathan is very calm.
- What have you been doing?

I had a couple of days off
to spend with my family.

- So it was good. Recharge energy.
- Nice. Reconnect.

See my nephews.

He's a great guy.
He has been supporting me a lot.

- Any questions on that?
- All good.

All clear.

And, obviously, I have a strong teammate.

Have you any idea where you might end up,

uh, performance-wise this weekend?

Golden question.

I... I... I do not know, to be honest.
Um, you tell me.

Doesn't look good.

Currently, the team
is not competitive enough.

And in these situations, for a rookie
to come into Formula 1, it is difficult.

We just need to see the points.

I can improve and do a better job myself.

People don't perform immediately.

As a team, we're taking a long-term view.

Jonathan Wheatley's coming into a team

that's been in a very tricky situation,

with no experience
of being a team principal.

But he has a chance to prove himself.

And what better way
than by beating his old boss.

Flavio's been here
about eight or nine months.

What have you made of him
as a character, as a personality?

There's no BS. There's no mucking around.

Uh, you find out
what's going on very, very quickly.

The beginning of the season
was not, uh, fantastic.

Jack had a big accident in Australia.

I'm so sorry.

- Are you okay?
- Yep, I'm okay.

A very big accident in Japan.

Did something happen?

Are you okay, mate?

I'm okay, yeah. What happened?

Every time you crash is a mistake.

I hope he's learning.
I hope he's learning very quickly as well.

Do you understand,

uh, why you are the target
of all this, uh, noise about your future?

Um, I think, uh, this is how it is,
uh, for my time right now,

and, uh, for sure I'll, um,
benefit from it

more than anything...
more than anything else.

How do you react--

I'm so sorry. We've got to go.
We've got to get to the broadcast.

- Come on.
- Sorry.

- Cheers, guys.
- Thank you, Jack.

- All the best.
- Thanks, gents.

Rumor in Formula 1 is, uh...

Is...

...what you have every day.

You know, it's full of rumor
about anything, about everything.

Be careful to keep the car on the track.
Don't overdrive the bloody car.

Keep the f*cking steering wheel...

Obviously,
there's a lot of rumors. It isn't easy.

So it's kind of like just saying,
like, "f*ck them all." Know what I mean?

f*ck all this.

Just crack on with you,
and that's all that you can do.

There's been so much sh*t in the press
over the last two, three months.

It was insane.

You gotta focus on what
you can control, getting in your zone, so...

Yeah.

Everybody's talking
about Jack being replaced,

and I feel for... for the guy,

'cause everybody's talking about him
in a way which is, you know, quite toxic.

Twenty-two years old, it's not easy

to... to deal with this sort of, uh,
you know, pressure, attention, bad press.

On top of all this, I got
serious death threats for this Grand Prix,

saying they're gonna k*ll me here
if I'm not out of the car.

I had six or seven emails

saying that if I'm still in the car
by Miami, that I'll be...

you know, all my limbs will be cut off.

Wednesday, I was there
with my f*cking girlfriend and my trainer,

and I got three f*cking men,
like armed men...

One at that window, one there.

And I had to call my police escort
to come get it under control.

I'm saying whatever I want.
I don't give a sh*t anymore.

You just need to calm down.

I'm already closed-lipped
f*cking 99% of the time.

Anything they'll hear anyway is
only a third of what I'm allowed to say.

It's a joke.

Yeah, pretty heavy stuff.

It's not the nicest way
to be going racing.

Colapinto! Colapinto!

Colapinto! Colapinto!
Colapinto! Colapinto!

It's all important to understand

how our Australian friend is doing.

Yes.

I'm just thinking, like, "f*ck."

I have to try and prove my worth,
show what I can do,

and make sure I'm not letting things
out of my control get to me.

What does Jack need to do
to keep his seat?

It's quite simple.

Go quick and no crash. Simple as that.

- Let's try to maximize it.
- We will.

Let's go.

Gabriel has
everything you need to score points.

But I'm not setting any targets,

because he's got a tough challenge
ahead of him.

It's about supporting.

My team trusts in my potential.

So I don't wanna disappoint anyone.

Okay, so straight out.

Okay.

Gabriel Bortoleto
out qualified his teammate,

Nico Hülkenberg, and starts in 13th.

Radio check.

Okay, copy.

Last car is approaching the grid now.

Copy.

Behind, in 14th, is Jack Doohan,

who did a great job under pressure
to out qualify his teammate, Pierre Gasly.

I'm just absolutely
sh1tting myself on all levels.

I really want my first points

and, no matter what happens,
to leave it all out on track.

Jack Doohan going
wheel-to-wheel into the first turn!

Doohan makes contact with the Racing Bull.

Jack, let's just, uh, be careful here.

Puncture.

sh*t.

What do I do?

Jack, we're gonna need
to retire the car here.

Copy.

I don't know what I could have done.

Doohan, for the second
time this season, out on lap one.

Okay, you're doing a good job.
Let's keep it up.

Yeah, copy.

We can push as much as you can.
As much as you can.

Go, go, go!

Come on, Gabi.

Check my engine. I'm losing power.

Ah, f*ck.

Yeah, I cannot drive
like this. You see that, right?

f*ck me.

Okay, Gabi, this is very unfortunate.

We want to stop on the track
in a safe place.

I'm switching off.

Very unfortunate.
You were doing a good job.

We've lost
two of the six rookies we've got.

Okay, Nico, Gasly is in front.

Let's keep pushing.

Hülkenberg now the car behind.

Around one second faster
than Gasly currently.

I got more if you want.

Pick up pace if you got any in the tank.

Last lap. Last lap.

It looks like Gasly
has recovered some pace.

Good job. Let's keep it up.

That's the checkered flag.

P13.

Tough afternoon out there
and pretty tough weekend for us.

Got to figure out
how to get this performance back.

And that's the checkered flag, Nico. P14.

That was about all we could take,
unfortunately.

It's not my first rodeo, but, uh...

I think you have to be humble
about the challenge we have ahead of us.

For Alpine and Sauber,

who find themselves really
at the bottom of the pack in 2025,

they have to show
some form of improvement.

There was a lot to learn
during a high-stress situation,

but I still think there's...
Yeah, it's good.

It means there's lots to go through.

When you take on new talent,
there's a development, there's a pathway.

And that's what
we'll be helping Gabi with.

Gabriel is a... a tremendous talent.

Jonathan's approach
is very much arm around the shoulder,

supportive.

Some people might argue
that just creates a soft team.

It doesn't create the sharp edges
that you need to win.

Other team principals
embrace those sharp edges.

Is there something I can do or... I...

It didn't look like it, because it was
fully packed going into turn one. Yeah.

Bye, Giovanni. See you at the airport.

If you have a talent, you make it.

Six races is enough.

You have the chance, you need take it.

Hello.

Hey, David.

So we decided to take, uh,
Colapinto for the next race.

From Imola.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

I thought that it was all bullshit.

And now they get to be right.

- The press, you mean?
- The press, yeah.

That's what annoys me the most.

So, un... Yeah, unfortunately,
I lost... lost my race seat. Um...

So, diff...

Very, very difficult to take,
and also just a bit of shock.

I wasn't able to enjoy
being a Formula 1 driver,

something that I dreamt of for so long.

So, yeah, it's pretty sh*t.

Really, really, really sh*t.

I'm Franco Colapinto,
BWT Alpine Formula 1 driver.

- Morning.
- How are you?

Welcome back.
You're the man of the moment.

It feels great to be back in Formula 1.

Flavio has put a lot of trust in me,
so I'm gonna try to do my best.

Franco.

You need to be very careful
because we don't need to put any mistakes.

Flavio has always been ruthless.

And so the decisions that he's making
are quite reactionary.

And they are intended to bring
a step-up in performance

for a team that's sitting close
to the bottom of the world championship.

- Radio check.
- Copy, mate.

Flavio's expecting Franco
to be on the pace immediately.



Let's push.

Are you okay, mate? Are you okay?

Sorry.

Unbelievable.

- You've got tomorrow, so don't worry.
- Yeah.

- Sorry.
- No, no, sorry, uh...

We should not make
these kinds of mistakes.

It was my bullshit.

I know it was your bullshit.

But when your bullshit is breaking
the car, it becomes my bullshit too.

Yeah.

Last lap. Last lap.

Copy.

That's the checkered flag, Nico.
We're P12.

- It wasn't quite enough.
- Yeah, shame.

That's Gasly behind.

Okay, that is the checkered flag. P13.

Sorry, guys.

That was, uh, P16 in the end.

We've got some work to do here.

We are P18.

At the moment,
both teams are finding it tough.

Alpine are just one point ahead of Sauber

at the bottom
of the Constructors' World Championship.

Flavio's not gonna be happy.

Yeah?

I'm going to sum up the situation.

Yes.

We need to understand
that we haven't been that great until now.

Let's say that, between the two of you,
Pierre has been better.

Now we have to get some points.

We can try something on my car.

I don't give a sh*t, okay?

I decide what I'm doing. I decide.

You are the problem.
You have to understand.

You have to improve your performance.
That's essential.

Flavio doesn't mess around.

If he's got to tell you something,
he's very straight,

which I quite like
'cause you don't really waste any time.

From this race on,
we have to start scoring points.

You have to help Pierre.

But, Pierre,
you also have to help yourself.

With the rookies struggling,

the only realistic way
to pick up significant points

will be through their veteran drivers.

Morning.

Hmm.

Too many phones.

Yeah, I know. But you know what,
it's quite nice sometimes in the evening

to leave the work phone in the office.

- So which number have I got you on?
- You've got both of mine.

I think, uh, this summer stint,
uh, could be interesting.

Yeah, it's still a young team.
You know, we're still knitting together.

Each week I'm with the team,
I understand a bit more how it works,

the way that... that we go about our racing.

I've been around the block
with different teams,

which, um, yeah, unfortunately
never quite clicked for me.

It's a fact that I've done many races
and haven't stepped on that podium.

But hopefully, with Jonathan,

we have a team boss that knows
what it takes to develop and to grow.

And I think, in that respect,
you know, uh, he's a great leader.

Yeah, it's just
about finding the last bit,

being professional there.

You need to try to keep that momentum up,
keep it going.

I have absolutely no doubt
of what he's capable of.

Being a team principal, it's about

helping that driver on their journey
to outperform themselves.

Toto is coming?

No?

f*cking Toto never comes to this sh*t.

We have an incredible week ahead
of, uh, us at the British Grand Prix.

No take any drink. No alcohol.

No alcohol.

No alcohol.

Hi, nice to see you.

Flavio Briatore.

Yeah. It's nice to see you. How are you?

- Jonathan Wheatley.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Sauber, future Audi.
- Yeah.

Then Ayao.

Uh, Sorry. Andy Cowell.

Ciao, Derek.

How are you?

sh*t.

You know, I have too many,

too much, too many people,
too many business.

- Keep life simple.
- Yeah.

Now, yes. I'm 74.

Wow.

Tomorrow we go to Silverstone.

It's gonna be a great weekend.

- A little bit of rain to make it exciting.
- Yeah.

- Alpine can win.
- Yeah.

Who knows?

The difference between me and Jonathan

is that we have
a different experience in business.

You know, I'm an entrepreneur.

You need to be ruthless.

- Thank you very much.
- So good to see you.

But Jonathan is, uh,

a nice guy.

- Really good to see you.
- Lovely to see you.

I don't think my management style
is the same as Flavio.

I come across
as quite laid-back, relaxed, pragmatic,

but don't confuse kindness with weakness.

Ciao, Flavio. You okay?

- Good. You?
- Yes, very good.

See you behind us this week.

Yeah.

For Alpine and Sauber, who find themselves

really languishing
at the bottom this year,

every position they can make up
in the team championship is critical

because it's worth
five to ten million dollars.

The weather's been all over the place.

- Incredible.
- Yeah, it... it's crazy.

- Hope we get some f*cking points.
- Can't deal with it.

Weekends for nothing,
you know what I mean?

Yeah.

Pierre, we have to wake up
from this race on.

We can't be behind all those guys.

The team,
at this point, is under massive pressure.

We gotta deliver
more than we are doing at the moment.

Pierre Gasly doing a great
job in qualifying, putting that car on P8.

Okay, one minute to go.

Yeah.

Franco Colapinto
is starting from the pit lane.

He spun off in qualifying yesterday.

When you are in this situation,
what can I say?

Formula 1 be a gladiator job, you know.
Not a... a... a little child.

Good luck today, mate.

- Thank you.
- Are you okay?

It's gonna be tough to score points.

But we're in this battle

where every single tiny thing
makes a difference.

- Radio check.
- Okay, Gabi.

Gabriel Bortoleto, 16th on the grid.

Nico Hülkenberg, he starts 19th.

P19 on the grid. Virtually last.

We need to maximize
every opportunity that we get.

Twenty seconds.

Great job there, Nico.

Looks like Colapinto has an issue.

Something is broken.

What the f*ck?

What's happening?

Not really sure what's wrong here, mate.

We're stuck in gear,
and we can't pull away.

Oh my God.

Colapinto,
stuck in second gear. Car stalled.

He's out of the race.

Okay, mate, well done. Keep your pace up.

Copy.

The next straight looks a bit dry already.

You can go more race, mate.
You can go more race if you need to.

f*ck!

Gabi, are you okay?

Yeah, man. Sorry.

Rain is coming
in three laps, Nico. Do your best.

Of course.

Box. I'm coming in to box.

Copy that, Nico.

Oh, Sauber,
rolling the dice with an early stop.

The weather
always has a big impact on the race.

It's very tricky to... to read it,
to preempt it.

It's a close call between hero or zero.

Rain reported at turn seven.

Copy.

I can't see a f*cking thing.

Hülkenberg using his experience

to time that pit stop perfectly.

- Confirm box.
- Confirming. Box this lap.

Yes, box this lap.

The rest of the field
are now forced to come in.

And box, Pierre. Box, box.

Copy.

Great job, Nico.

Hülkenberg has gained significant ground

following his decisive pit stop
ahead of the rain.

We are currently P5.

Keep me updated if someone is close.

We are P6 at the moment.

Guys in front, Stroll and Hülkenberg.

Hülkenberg is f*cking quick.

How the heck
is Hülkenberg ahead from last?

Crazy.

Max Verstappen
spins around from second position

and loses a hatful of places.

And that's P4, Nico.

We think the rain will stop
for at least 40 minutes.

Understood.

Four-and-a-half-second gap to Stroll.

Copy.

Behind, we've got Hamilton.

Yep.

Gasly ahead of us. Try your best.

Yep.

Yeah, pace is good.

Good job.

Yeah!

Car in front is Stroll.

P3. Great job, Nico.

Nico Hülkenberg, 238th Grand Prix,

the most by any driver
without a podium finish.

Hamilton is behind putting pressure.

What you're doing is mega out there.

Hülkenberg has got
a seven-times World Champion on his tail.

Can he hold on?

What's going on with Hamilton?

There's a four-and-a-half-second
gap to Hamilton.

It's getting really close.

- How many laps?
- Seven to go.

Hamilton, three and a half seconds.

f*ck.

You are the fastest man on track.

Two more laps.

My heart's pounding.

All the pressure and all the tension.

I'm pretty stressed.

I got Lewis behind me, chasing me down,

trying to push me into a mistake.

It's the ultimate challenge.

The slightest mistake

and you can be out.

Last lap.

Stay clean, no mistakes. Bring it home.

And finally,
he gets to stand on the podium!

It's third place for Hülkenberg!

That's the checkered flag, Nico.
You did it. You did it, dude.

- Podium. P3, baby.
- Oh my God.

I don't think I can
comprehend what we've just done.

Well done, that's P6.

Yes. Very good job, everyone.

Nico, absolute masterclass today.

This has been the most overdue podium
in Formula 1 history,

and you nailed it.

Thank you, Jonathan. Oh my God.

Nico, it's Gabi. Man,
you don't know how happy I am for you.

You are a f*cking legend.

Honestly, absolutely insane
what you did today.

Thank you, buddy. Thank you
very much. Appreciate that from you.

You know, you are writing history.

We are.

Together, we are.

We're writing it.

Look where we are now.

An extraordinary, meteoric rise
from tenth to sixth in the championship.

Flavio, can we take a picture?

No, no, no, no.
No photos today. I'm on strike.

I don't comprehend it.
I can't comprehend what just happened.

Well, you just delivered
what you've always been capable of.

Enjoy it.

Nico! Nico!

Nobody really expected it
or saw it coming.

I feel very happy and proud about it.

Finally, you know, I've done it.

I sit here at the moment, uh,
really feeling like Sauber is my team.

You start to create a different culture,
and it blossoms around you.

Nico! Nico! Nico! Nico! Nico! Nico! Nico!

I've been very, very lucky to be
a part of this journey so far,

and I'm excited
about the next five, six, seven years.

Can you stop following?

When you are a leader of any business,

it depends on your, uh, choice,

the... the success or not.

And only the... the future tell me
if I'm right or wrong.

I believe we need to be
concentrated completely in 2026.

If next year, we are at the bottom,
I change job, you know.

Finished. Thank you.

We have two number one
drivers fighting for the championship.

- Well done.
- That's a recipe for disaster.

The top two
in the World Championship side by side!

I wanna win badly.

Sometimes too badly.

We're nowhere near where we should be.

Something doesn't feel right with the car.

I cannot drive.

Williams has to get
a handle on this situation.

How the f*ck is that even possible?

That's not how I go racing, guys.