Briatore Slams Benetton Management

The Benetton team was not even close to being a Formula One team before Flavio Briatore returned as boss last year, the Italian said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.

Briatore, who was in charge of Benetton when the team won two consecutive drivers' title back in 1994 and 1995 with Michael Schumacher at the wheel, returned to Benetton last season following Renault's buyout.

"There was no management here, simple as that," Briatore said, asked about the performance of the team during his absence. "A lot of people left and nobody was replacing them. There was no discipline.

"In the last years it was not even close to being a Formula One team."

Briatore also talked about Briton Jenson Button, who he signed for the team for the next two seasons.

"He [Button] finished races and made very few mistakes," Briatore said. "Now we're making sure that there isn't too much pressure on him this year. It's a very important year for Jenson and for us. I believe he's one of the very good drivers in Formula One. How good he is, I don't know. We will see."

The 50-year old Italian also believes that Button will force teammate Giancarlo Fisichella to push harder, something that didn't happen last year with Austrian Alex Wurz.

"Ah, Giancarlo needs to be pushed, I believe, like everybody," he added. "Unfortunately with Alex it was not such tight competition, and there was never any kind of challenge. In racing if you're not winning the championship or the race, you've got to try to do the best job possible.

"He [Fisichella] was not doing any extra. I am sure Jenson will make Giancarlo give us all the extra - if he has the extra. I don't know at this point."