Formula 1 – Renault have announced that Cyril Abiteboul, who had been serving as Team Principal, has left the company.
Abiteboul has been part of the Formula 1 paddock since the early 2000s, serving firstly behind the scenes at Renault before switching to the Caterham F1 team where he spent some time as Team Principal. In mid 2014, the Frenchman returned to Renault where he has been Managing Director and Team Principal until today.
It had been expected that Abiteboul would continue with the team as they rebrand as Alpine, but today’s news puts an end to that line of thought.
“I would like to thank the Groupe Renault for having trusted me for many years,” said Abiteboul. “Particularly with the relaunch and reconstruction of the team since 2016.
“The solid foundations of the racing team and the entities in France and England built over these years, the strategic evolution of the sport towards a more economically sustainable model, and more recently the Alpine project which provides a renewed sense of meaning and dynamism, all point to a very fine trajectory.
“I would like to thank Luca de Meo for involving me in the construction of the Alpine Business Unit and I wish the new structure every success.”
Laurent Rossi, currently Groupe Renault’s Director of Strategy and Business Development, has been announced as the CEO of the Alpine brand, and will report directly to Groupe Renault CEO, Luca de Meo. Abiteboul’s replacement as Alpine Team Principal has yet to be announced.
De Meo thanked Abiteboul for his work in bringing the Renault F1 Team back to the podium.
“I would like to warmly thank Cyril for his tireless involvement,” said de Meo. “Which notably led the Renault F1 Team from the penultimate place in 2016 to the podiums last season. His remarkable work in F1 since 2007 allows us to look to the future, with a strong team and the new Alpine F1 Team identity to conquer the podiums this year.”
