Alpine team leader Flavio Briatore has contradicted his own squad’s announcement that Franco Colapinto had been promoted to a race seat for the next five Formula 1 rounds from this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Love him or hate him, Formula 1 is certainly far more colourful with Flavio Briatore around. It's been almost one year since the fiery Italian made his long-awaited - and somewhat controversial - return to the sport as an executive advisor with Alpine.

The 75-year-old Italian cannot be team principal because “he is not a member of staff, and does not hold an F1 licence, as is required of people in such authority by the FIA’s competitor’s staff registration system”, BBC Sport report.