Yahoo Autos Renault F1 Team President Stepping Down at Year's End
Jerome Stoll has led the Renault Sport Racing team since 2016.
Stoll, 66, is stepping down at season's end, just as the team is being rebranded as Alpine for 2021.
Renault F1 finished fifth in the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship in both 2019 and 2020.
Jerome Stoll, president of Renault Sport Racing team, will not return to the team in 2021.
Stoll, 66, currently serves as team boss of both the Renault F1 team and the Renault eDams team in Formula E. Stoll has led Renault's F1 and Formula E efforts since 2016. He will step down on December 31.
Under Stoll, Renault's factory F1 program has been a competitive force in the midfield. After finishing ninth in the F1 Constructors' Championship in 2016, the team put together back-to-back sixth-place finishes in both 2017 and 2018 before back-to-back fifth-place finishes in both 2019 and 2020.
In Formula E, Renault eDams has won three Constructors' Championship and a Drivers' Championship with Sebastien Buemi. The team has not been shy about making a splash in Formula 1, having surprised many by signing top free agent Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull for the 2019 and 2020 season and by bringing back Fernando Alonso for 2021.
Renault CEO Luce de Meo did not name Stoll's replacement or announce an restructuring plans as part of Tuesday's announcement.
"These five years as president of Renault Sport Racing have been very intense," Stoll said. "Taking up the challenge of rebuilding a Formula 1 team is tough, it takes time, commitment and unfailing determination. A first step has been taken with a team and drivers that we can now see on the podium.
"I appreciate the privilege of being able to be part of all these changes and all our progress. Motorsport, and even more so Formula 1, is above all a human adventure, encounters, bonds that are forged, joys, disappointments and invaluable rewards. The Formula E titles and seeing young drivers racing in our cars in the Eurocup or Clio Cup are an integral part of what has been a wonderful experience."
Stoll's departure coincides with the Formula 1 team's rebranding as Apline for 2021. The team will race with drivers Alonso and Esteban Ocon next season.
"What a long way we have come together from the start of the project in June 2015 to this season’s podiums," team principal Cyril Abiteboul said. "Jerome's passion for competition as well as his loyalty to the women and men of the team have been of invaluable help over the years. His support as well as his strategic vision have enabled us to overcome many hurdles and advance our ideas in an increasingly complex environment.
"Today, a new adventure begins with Alpine and the F1 team will be a major asset for the development of the brand.”
Renault is in for a big change with new leadership, a new name, and the return of Fernando Alonso to F1 in 2021. Are you buying or selling on Renault F1? Start a discussion in the comments section below.
