Former Formula 1 team boss Flavio Briatore has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and hospitalised as a result.
Briatore previously managed the Benetton F1 Team, which later morphed into Renault, but was thrown out of the sport following the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix race fixing scandal.
Reports in the Italian media confirm the 70-year-old was taken to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan with suspected COVID-19 symptoms and has since tested positive for the virus.
No official statement has been released confirming Briatore’s condition, but several media reports suggest his condition is serious, though he is not in intensive care.
It’s suspected he may have caught the virus during a soccer match at one of his Billionaire clubs in Porto Cervo, which was closed after 60 staff members tested positive.
Another player at the match, Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, has since tested positive.
Italy was hit badly by coronavirus in March but has got on top of the virus after locking the country down quickly. It began loosening restrictions in June, though nightclubs remain shut, which angered Briatore who posted on social media: “My heart weeps to see an economy slaughtered by people who have never done anything in their lives.”
Although Briatore has no interest in returning to F1 after his ban was overturned following a legal case, he has been present at a number of races in recent years.
