Last week, it was announced that Cyril Abiteboul, who served as the team principal of Renault’s F1 operation since 2017, had left the team ahead of its rebrand to Alpine.
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“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 in a statement last week.
“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.
Commenting on Abiteboul’s departure, fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon has said he is “sad” to see him leave Renault.
“I am sad to see him go. It’s clear that we were very close to Cyril,” Ocon said.
“He was in the project for a long time, getting the first good results, podiums, top five.
“I wish him the best for the future and I appreciate him very much for helping me to be who I am now,” the Frenchman added.
Next season, Ocon will be racing alongside Fernando Alonso at the Alpine F1 Team – and they’ll be looking to build on a relatively strong campaign which saw Renault score its first podium since returning to F1 in 2016.
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