Speculation has persisted for some time that Renault could be looking to sell the Alpine Formula 1 team which is struggling at the bottom of the constructors’ championship

Alpine’s future in F1 has been under question(Image: Getty Images)

The new chief executive of the Renault automotive group has said he has no plans to take the company out of Formula 1. Francois Provost has taken over as head of the French carmaking giant from Luca de Meo, whose resignation was confirmed last month.

There have long been rumours swirling that suggested Renault was considering a sale of its F1 team, which races under the moniker of its Alpine sportscar brand. And the exit of De Meo, for whom racing at the pinnacle of motorsport was something of a passion project, only added fuel to those flames.

But his successor has pledged his commitment, for now, to staying in the sport. Despite the outfit’s poor performance in recent times, Provost said competing in F1 remains part of the Alpine brand strategy, as he spoke to reporters to announce Renault’s financial results for the first half of 2025 in one of his first tasks as the new CEO of the company.

Renault considered a swathe of both internal and external candidates for the role, after De Meo announced his intention to leave to take over as head of luxury good group Kering, which owns world-famous fashion brands like Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.

Ultimately, the carmaker decided to promote Provost, a Renault veteran of 23 years, from his previous role as head of procurement into the chief executive position. “It is with pride and gratitude that I welcome my appointment,” he said.

“I would like to warmly thank my President, Jean-Dominique Senard and the Board of Directors for the trust they have placed in me. I have a special thought for the teams across the Group who have supported me throughout these past 23 years.

“I will dedicate all my energy and passion to contributing – alongside our 100,000 employees, our dealers, suppliers, and partners – to the development of our Group, one of the flagships of French industry for the past 127 years.

“Renault Group benefits from strong fundamentals, with committed teams, an outstanding range of products, strong brands, and an innovative organisational model. These will be invaluable assets as we accelerate our transformation in an increasingly demanding environment for our industry. You can count on my commitment and determination to write the next page of our history together.”

Provost also becomes the new direct report for Flavio Briatore, who was brought back into the Renault fold by De Meo as a special adviser to the board regarding the Alpine team’s efforts. The Italian has since taken over as de-facto team principal, though not officially by title, since the departure of previous boss Oliver Oakes in May.

But results have been difficult to come by this season and Alpine sit rock bottom of the constructors’ championship, having amassed just 20 points so far this year. They are 15 points behind Haas in ninth place and desperately need both their drivers to start scoring, with Franco Colapinto struggling and all of their points so far in 2025 having been secured by Pierre Gasly.