Renault Alpine: French team could add Alpine brand to its name, with Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul leading the new brand.
Automobile giant Renault have announced a restructuring of their major brands – Renault, Dacia, Alpine and New Mobility. Renault F1 Boss Cyril Abiteboul will be responsible for ‘creation, organisation and implementation’ of the Alpine brand alongside his current role.
Interesting, this. A press release from the Renault Group has named Cyril Abiteboul as one of the key people for their new ‘business units’ as they seek to promote their brands. Abiteboul is named as the man to lead the ‘Alpine’ brand,rumoured to be the new name for the #F1 team. pic.twitter.com/UvMd47auKu
— Thomas Maher (@thomasmaheronf1) September 3, 2020
This is what the statement by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo read:
“This project aims to create a simpler and more results-oriented organization, while strengthening the cohesion, motivation and sense of belonging of the teams thus grouped by brands.”
“The organization around four strong brands and large cross-functional functions would make it possible to work in a simpler way, more oriented to the markets and customers, with a team spirit, to seek the best possible result. This is an essential lever for the Group’s recovery.”
F1 team: Renault to be re-branded to Alpine Renault?
This announcement has led to suggestions that Renault F1 could be set for a re-branding in the sport. For those unaware, rivals Racing Point are also re-branding to Aston Martin from 2021. Racing Point was earlier known as Force India, before the takeover by Lawrence Stroll. But Abiteboul chose to not answer this questions, instead putting the ball in de Meo’s court.
“These questions are not for me. These questions are corporate strategy, questions for the CEO.”
“My two cents is that with the new Concorde Agreement, we have finally the possibility to have a stable platform in Formula 1, a great marketing platform. The way we want to make use of that platform will be up to the CEO. We have a flexible platform, and we have different brands.
Cyril also clarified the role with Alpine is temporary, and doesn’t affect his job as Team Principal of Renault F1. He wants to focus on the additional responsibility, and not on the intricacies of a permanent appointment.
“Right now what I’ve been asked to do is a mission with a set of proposals in order to structure our brand.”
“I’ve not been asked to run the brand. It’s not in any way a permanent appointment whatsoever. That’s what I will be focusing on: strategies that I have been given are what I’m doing for F1. There is absolutely no question of change of team leadership for the time that I do this mission.”
