Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo is not sparing with criticism of the Alpine team, but is not even thinking of selling to the highest bidder
The Renault Group apparently has no intention of selling the Alpine Formula 1 team. “I want to make one thing very clear: There is no chance that we will give up,” says Group CEO Luca de Meo in an interview with Autocar, emphasizing, “That’s not my style.”
Alpine is currently in penultimate place in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship with two points from two tenth places. Only the future Audi works team Sauber is behind with zero points.
For comparison: in 2023, the team had scored 44 points after eight race weekends – and that was bad enough for the management, together with team boss Otmar Szafnauer, to sack half the management team in the summer.
Shortly before this, the investment company Otro Capital had acquired 24 percent of the Alpine team for a purchase price of 200 million euros. Combined with the sporting downturn since then under Bruno Famin’s leadership, this was seen by observers as an indication that Renault could pull the plug completely if the team continued to be unsuccessful.
But that will not happen, as de Meo makes clear: “We will not sell a piece of this thing! We don’t need the money. I had offers from left and right, and then there was also talk about it in the press. But we’re not interested. It would be stupid, and we won’t do it. “
Renault believes in the value of Formula 1 involvement
Even if Alpine is currently lagging behind: Formula 1 itself is in excellent economic condition, and should a sporting turnaround succeed, the value of the Alpine franchise would probably increase significantly over the next few years.
Formula 1 expert Ralf Schumacher, however, is “glad that the group is staying in and that Renault has been there for so long. I hope that they stay in.” Because: “I think it would be a shame if a traditional brand like Renault were to be lost from Formula 1”,
Renault first entered Formula 1 in 1977 and, in historical hindsight, is regarded as the pioneer of the turbocharger in the premier class of motorsport. The in-house works team was discontinued in 1985, but returned in 1989 as an engine supplier to the Williams team.
Today’s Alpine team first competed in the Formula 1 World Championship as Toleman in 1981, but initially had nothing to do with the Renault Group. Renault was involved as an engine supplier from 1995 and took over the then Benetton team completely in 2000. With interruptions, as Renault has only been the sole owner of the racing team again since 2016.
Is Briatore coming back as a savior?
One of the faces of Renault’s previous successes, engine builder Rob White, has just left Alpine. “And there will be more,” says de Meo, announcing that the personnel restructuring is not yet complete. Among other things, there is currently talk that former team boss Flavio Briatore could be installed as an advisor
In his opinion, the current crisis began “three or four years ago”, in preparation for the 2021 reform regulations, which only came in 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The weak engine had already cost “0.2 to 0.5 seconds per lap” back then, analyzes de Meo and states: “This year, we also messed up the car. All in all, we are missing one and a half seconds. “
Why de Meo is so dissatisfied
All in all, he expects “a much better performance from the team. We’re not here to finish 16th. We should be at the front as often as possible. Sometimes finish second, sometimes maybe only fifth. But that should be our level,” rumbles de Meo.
Alpine had already announced before the start of the 2023 season that it was aiming for third place in the Formula 1 team standings. In reality, they have since plummeted from P4 to P9. The power unit is certainly one reason for this. One that can be corrected with the introduction of the new regulations for the 2026 season at the latest.
Alpine’s long-term strategy is therefore to restructure the team in 2024 in order to be able to prepare for the new regulations from 2026 with a new line-up in 2025. If the results do not improve by then, Renault could re-evaluate the topic of Formula 1. But until then, the commitment with a works team seems to be secured
