Abiteboul: Alonso will instill “the culture of winning” at Renault

Since 2016 and the return of Renault as a manufacturer team, the Losange driver duo has continued to change. This will be the case again in 2021, Fernando Alonso replacing Daniel Ricciardo alongside Esteban Ocon. 

Some will go so far as to say that the pair of runners have continued to improve. In terms of results and car On the other hand, progress came to a clear halt last year. Despite Renault's firm commitment to F1 on the long term, Cyril Abiteboul is well aware of the expectations and hopes aroused by the arrival of a double world champion in the team.

« We went through this when Daniel (Ricciardo, Editor’s note) was recruited two years ago, recalled the main French team. When you compete in F1, the pressure is always there and it only increases over time.

I know there are expectations. We must do better. Our initial plan was ambitious, perhaps too ambitious in terms of timing. Rebuilding the team, recruiting staff, gauging their performance, all of this takes time. I am more confident than ever.

We must not live in the past but the past can be a model, a source of motivation, exemplarity, culture. This culture of performance, of winning, this stubbornness of Fernando are very interesting for our team currently being built ». 

Renault has already admitted that its objectives had been postponed by one year due to the postponement of the 2021 technical revolution.

« I want to emphasize the fact that we took the time to get to know each other with Fernando, to discuss the project, what the ambitions were for 2021, for 2022, added Abiteboul. 

Fernando, like Renault, feels extremely motivated by this 2022 project with significant regulatory developments with a fairer, more reasonable, more responsible Formula 1 but also with human performance which will come back to the fore ».

The Spaniard is warned: 2021 should be a new season of transition. His future boss hopes that the return ofAlonso will already allow us to set in motion a positive dynamic to be ready for action one year later.