Abiteboul about 'game changer': "Similar to Ford vs Ferrari"

Cyril Abiteboul is pleased to announce the new CEO of Renault: Luca de Melo. Since July, De Melo has been in charge of the French car brand and according to Abiteboul, the CEO is approaching the company in the same way as Ford did during the Le Mans battles between Ford and Ferrari.

Ford vs Ferrari

According to Abiteboul, De Melo has as ambitious a vision as Ford's leaders in the 1960s. At the time, Ford wanted to knock the great unbeatable Ferrari off the throne during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This story was filmed in 2019.

"He has a good knowledge of the sport and of people. He also sees the competitiveness of the sport. If I may make a comparison, it is with the film Ford vs Ferrari. He approaches it with the emotion and determination Ford had when they decided they wanted to beat Ferrari," said the Renault team boss versus GPupdate.

Renault becomes Alpine

The first major change the new CEO has made is a name change for the Formula 1 branch. Starting next year, Renault will go through life as Alpine. There are also ambitions for the famous race at Le Mans. Abiteboul is pleased with the boost given by De Melo's appointment.

"That's huge. Even if he doesn't get involved in the daily business, it is a game changer for me to know that I have someone who expects the team to perform, but who is also there to help", Abiteboul concludes.