Renault CEO Francois Provost says the Alpine F1 team owner is “staying in Formula 1 for a long time” after making his first visit to the F1 paddock at the Italian Grand Prix.
Provost assumed his role of Renault CEO at the end of July, replacing outgoing Luca de Meo. The move further put Renault’s future in F1 under the spotlight, after De Meo had decided to end the French OEM’s in-house F1 power unit programme at Viry-Chatillon, with the Alpine-branded team becoming a Mercedes customer from 2026 onwards instead.
Provost has taken the top job at a tricky time for the manufacturer, with Renault reporting an €11.2billion loss over the first half of 2025, including a 9.3b write-down of its investment in ailing Japanese brand Nissan. Mid-July, its share prices dropped by as much as 18 percent over a surprise profit warning.
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But as rumours of an Alpine F1 buyout have never completely gone away over the past few months, Provost, who made his first grand prix appearance as Renault CEO in Monza last week, formally nailed the brand’s colours to F1’s mast.
“My visit aims mainly to reaffirm we’re staying in Formula 1. We’re staying in Formula 1 for a long time,” Provost told French broadcaster Canal+.
Provost pointed to Alpine lead driver Pierre Gasly signing a new contract until 2028 as an important step towards bringing stability to the Enstone based team. Meanwhile, the squad’s de facto leader Flavio Briatore has brought onboard long-time ally Steve Nielsen as managing director, with Nielsen having taken up his role on 1 September.
“That’s also a very positive sign,” he said of Gasly’s new deal. “We are entering a new era, which will be a performance era but above all a stability era. Pierre’s commitment demonstrates this well.
“Steve’s appointment as managing director is a good example, too. So, you see, we’ve made many steps forward.”
Photo by: Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Alpine has struggled for performance this year, languishing in last place of the constructors’ table after swiftly halting in-season development and focusing on the 2026 rules change.
Gasly’s 20-point haul is less than half the tally of next best team Haas, while in the second car Franco Colapinto has yet to get off the mark after taking over from equally scoreless Jack Doohan.
Additional reporting by Ben Vinel and Fabien Gaillard
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