BOITUMELO RANTAO
FORMULA One team Alpine Racing, formerly known as Renault F1 Racing, has ended their tenure with team boss Cyril Abitebou. The French-owned team made the announcement on Monday.
“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,” Cyril Abiteboul said in a statement.
Speaking on his departure, Abiteboul said that he felt that he was leaving behind a concrete base for the French manufacturer to grow.
“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.”
Abiteboul’s exit has catapulted Laurent Rossi, director of strategy and business development at Renault, into appointment as CEO of Alpine Racing.
Rossi will take charge of Alpine cars, its F1 team and other motorsport activities. He will report directly to Luca de Meo, Renault’s CEO.
“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.”
Abiteboul is a Renault veteran who originally joined the company after university. He began working for the F1 team from 2007 before moving up to become the team’s executive director in 2010.
He joined Caterham Racing in 2012 and became its team principal, before departing in 2014. He returned to Renault as managing director and played a key role in the French car manufacturer’s return to F1 as a works team in 2016.
