Will Renault pull out of F1 again?

Questions have been raised about Renault’s future in Formula 1 following a fresh round of management upheaval at its Alpine-branded team.

Ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, team principal Otmar Szafnauer left the squad, ending months of speculation about his position. But perhaps more surprising was the departure of long-time linchpins Alan Permane and Pat Fry. Sporting director Permane’s exit concludes his unbroken run at ‘Team Enstone’ dating back to 1989 when it was still based in Witney under the guise of Benetton. Fry has left to join Williams as its chief technical officer.

Szafnauer criticised Renault’s approach to Formula 1, branding it “controlling” and “unrealistic”. Impatience for results at a corporate level appears to have gripped the Anglo-French team, which has fallen from fourth in the constructors’ standings last year to a distant sixth this term.

Ex-Peugeot Sport boss Bruno Famin is in place as an interim team principal, but alarms bells have rung for those who recall Renault’s stop-start history in F1. It first withdrew its works team having pioneered turbo engines in 1985, only to return as a dominant engine-only manufacturer in 1989. That successful era ended in 1997, only for Renault to buy Benetton in 2000 for another all-in entry, winning twin titles with Fernando Alonso in 2005-06. It subsequently sold its interests in the team, reverting to engine supplier status only to win four consecutive titles with Red Bull – then bought Team Enstone again in 2016. Might the yo-yo effect be about to repeat?