The surprising result of the Italian Grand Prix wasn’t the only big news coming out of Monza last week. It was also announced that Renault will rebrand as Alpine F1 following the 2020 F1 season.
Ever since the mid-1970s, the name Renault has been very familiar with all types of motor racing. From its beginning of winning Lemans in 1978, entering Formula 1, manufacturing engines for F1 cars, and being a full works team. The Renault brand is known throughout the world.
Courtesy: BBC
But it has been a roller coaster ride, especially recently. Carlos Ghosn left Japan for the Middle East amid charges for financial wrongdoing. Ghosn was smuggled by some friends in a box and sent by truck, then by airplane, finally emerging in Lebanon.
Renault lost stock with partner, Nissan, which had an alliance when Ghosn was running the company. With Ghosn now fired from Group Renault and then Nissan, the French company had to hire another CEO to straighten out problems.
Clotilde Delbos held reign for a year when a new manager arrived. Luca de Meo did not waste time. Last week at the Italian Grand Prix, de Meo announced that the famed yellow and black Renault paint scheme would change to the Alpine brand of Red, White, and Blue–the tri-colors of the French flag, where the product was born.
For de Meo, it’s the intent to restructure and focus more on key brands, which does not just relate to Renault. A fresh start is needed following the scandal and hardships the company has experienced in the wake of Coronavirus, which hit Renault hard economically.
Courtesy: Reddit
‘Alpine’ is not a new name, as the cars debuted in racing in the late 1960s. Even today, it is running in the World Endurance Championship, where the team won the 24 Hours of Lemans in 2016 and 2018 in the LMP 2 category class. Now the company will take on a more prominent role in the ultimate of all motorsports—Formula One.
The operation will not change as far as the chassis is concerned, which is still being developed in Enstone, England. But Renault will always be around with participation remaining to be an engine manufacturer for the team–with their factory working on the engine side from their base in Viry-Chatillon, near Paris, France, with their name still on the Alpine car.
Although Esteban Ocon will still be on the team for one more season in 2021, he will be joined by legendary two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who will try to improve Alpine in the right direction until his contract runs out in 2022.
Cyril Abitboul: This change comes at a key moment in the trajectory of the team and the sport. Alpine brings a new meaning, new values, and colors to the paddock with the spirit of competition from other worlds and French creative agility.
Despite the long existence of Renault, Alpine is a French marquee sports car brand–with the A110 in production at its factory in Dieppe, France. Besides Lemans, it won the World Rally Championship in 1973. and has competed in Formula Three and two, but never in Formula One. Until now….
