Renault have announced F1 Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul is leaving the company, ahead of the team’s relaunch as Alpine for this year.
A long time Renault employee, Abiteboul has been in sole charge of the F1 team since 2017, but is now leaving the company altogether, following a shake-up by new CEO Luca de Meo, who joined from SEAT last year.
Laurent Rossi, the Director of Strategy and Business Development of Groupe Renault, is taking over the new CEO of Alpine, which will also see him assume control of the F1 team, reporting to De Meo.
“I would like to thank the Groupe Renault for having trusted me for many years, particularly with the relaunch and reconstruction of the team since 2016,” said Abiteboul.
“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.”
De Meo added: “I would like to warmly thank Cyril for his tireless involvement, 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.”
