The Renault team about to be renamed Alpine F1 Team

It is a brand of enthusiasts which enjoys a good popularity rating, but it is also a niche brand which has everything to benefit from the immense media and marketing exposure offered by the Formula 1.

After his many successes in rally and Endurance, a new chapter is about to open in the rich history ofAlpine in motor racing. Several sources told AUTOhebdo that the Dieppe (Seine-Maritime) firm was preparing to arrive in Grands Prix in the form of a change of name and visual identity of the Renault F1 Team from the 2021 season. 

The French manufacturer's factory team would then be called Alpine F1 Team, without it being known for the moment whether the title sponsor DP World, the Dubai port authority, which arrived this season, will extend its partnership beyond the current campaign. 

Objective of this major makeover: use the world showcase of Formula 1 to shine a spotlight on Alpine, which would also become the sporting brand of the Renault Group, replacing the Renault Sport badge. 

The beginnings of this change of image became tangible on Thursday September 3 when Renault presented a “ organizational development project », articulated around 4 divisions intended to become autonomous entities: Renault, Dacia, Alpine, and New Mobility. 

As such, Cyril Abiteboul, team principal of the Renault F1 Team and general director of Renault Sport Racing, was entrusted with the mission of structuring the Norman brand launched by Jean Rédélé in 1955 and passed into the fold of Losange in 1973. 

Present at the FIA ​​press conference on Friday at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, the French manager was evasive regarding the possibility of a change of identity for the Renault F1 Team. 

Abiteboul was content to say that Luca de Meo had “ great expectations for Alpine » and left it to Renault's new strong man to announce his strategy in due time. 

The latter should announce in person the new name of the F1 team on Sunday morning ahead of the race during a dedicated press briefing. The future identity of the French team would be accompanied by a change of livery on the car 2021 in order to integrate the traditional colors ofAlpine, especially blue.

• Back to basics

Before joining the premier single-seater category, the Dieppe brand acquired its credentials in rallying and endurance racing. In 1973, Alpine becomes world rally champion thanks to her famous Berlinette and the talent of the quartet composed of Mousquetaires Jean-Luc Thérier, Bernard Darniche, Jean-Claude Andruet, and Jean-Pierre Nicolas.

After several class successes 24 Hours of Le Mans, Alpine won the overall victory in 1978 thanks to Didier Pironi and Jean-Pierre Jaussaud at the wheel of the Renault Alpine A442B.

A long period of sleep follows before the sleeping beauty wakes up in the 2010s, both on the product side, with the launch of a concept car Alpine A110-50 then the new generation A110, which competes via a successful association with Signatech which fields rebadged Oreca LMP2 chassis. 

The makeover of the Renault team in Alpine F1 Team would be similar to that of Sauber, which became Alfa Romeo in 2018. It also brings to mind the arrival ofAston Martin in place of Racing Point in 2021. 

In other words, the partnership would be limited to a change of visual identity, Alpine not having the technical means in Dieppe to create a modern Formula 1 single-seater. Even less so at the dawn of a major technical revolution in 2022 on which Renault has pinned all its hopes. 

Therefore, the chassis will always be produced in the department ofenstone (United Kingdom) and V6 turbo hybrid engines designed and developed in the enlarged and renovated workshops in Viry-Châtillon (Essonne). The mention Renault will also continue to appear in the engine nomenclature. 

As surprising and unexpected as it may be, this arrival ofAlpine in Formula 1 actually marks a return to basics for Renault and its future premium brand. Before launching into Grands Prix with its famous RS01 with a turbocharged engine in 1977, the French manufacturer had carried out a long test with Jean-Pierre Jabouille at the wheel of a prototype designed by Alpine : the A500. 

Contacted by AUTOhebdo, the Renault team did not wish to comment on this information.