The changes continue for the British-based team as managing director Cyril Abiteboul is leaving the French car manufacturer. 

The 43-year-old started with Renault in F1 back in 2007 when he was appointed Development Director. He moved to Caterham in 2012 to become team principal. 

However, he returned to Renault in 2014 to become Managing Director and was still in that role when Renault made their F1 comeback in 2016.  

After some turbulent years, 2020 was the best one for the team with Abiteboul at the helm. They scored 188 points and appeared on the rostrum three times; Ricciardo’s podium at the Eifel Grand Prix was the first for the Renault name since the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. 

Abiteboul was expected to remain in the team when they become Alpine, but that has proven not to be the case.  

“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.” 

Laurent Rossi will head up the Alpine team as CEO. He was formerly the Director of Strategy and Business Development at Groupe Renault.  

Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo thanked Abiteboul for his contribution to the team over the last five years.  

“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.” 

Marcin Budkowski could become the new team principal following his promotion to director at Renault earlier this month after the retirement of Jerome Stoll. The position of former Suzuki MotoGP boss Davide Brivio – who is expected to be announced to join the team in the near future – is still unknown.