Flavio Briatore says he spotted Aston Martin's rise to shock competitiveness in Formula 1 ahead of time.
The former Renault team boss is still involved in the overall management of Fernando Alonso's career.
He told Italy's Il Riformista newspaper that he spotted Aston Martin's likely leap up the F1 grid this year when Alonso, then driving for Alpine, came onto the market in 2022.
"That's why I encouraged Fernando to make the move to Aston Martin and now they are second in the constructors' championship after five grands prix," said Briatore.
"Fernando and Aston Martin are the main surprise of this season because last year the team was not competitive," he added.
"But thanks to investments in technology and a new factor, they have now joined the group of leaders which previously consisted only of two teams - Red Bull and Mercedes.
"They (Aston Martin) still performed well at the last race in Miami even though the track is not very suitable for their car," Briatore continued.
"If nothing extraordinary happens, the fate of the title is already decided - but on some tracks, like in Monaco, big surprises are possible.
"Red Bull are playing in their own league, and Max Verstappen has the strength and style - the world championship is already his," he added. "They're also so strong because they have a real genius in Adrian Newey."
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