Cyril Abiteboul Leaves Renault Ahead Of Alpine F1 Rebrand

Cyril Abiteboul has served as team principal of Renault’s F1 team since 2017.

Cyril Abiteboul leaves Renault F1 - Formula1news.co.uk

Renault have announced that Cyril Abiteboul won’t be serving as team principal of its F1 operation in 2021.

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Laurent Rossi, director of strategy and business development of Groupe Renault, will replace Abiteboul as head of the French car-maker’s F1 team ahead of its rebrand to Alpine next season.

“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,” Abiteboul said.

“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,” he added.

Meanwhile, Renault CEO Luca de Meo thanked Abiteboul for his efforts to move the team up Formula One’s pecking order.

“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,” de Meo said.

“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.”

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Fernando Alonso, who won both of his F1 titles with Renault well over a decade ago, will return to the Enstone-based team in 2021, partnering Frenchman Esteban Ocon.

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