Do you suppose Renault/Alpine have been directionless for the reason that Crash-gate scandal got here out in 2009? Is selling Flavio Briatore to principal a step ahead or morally fallacious after his controversial previous? – Ryan
Let’s tidy up a little bit of historical past right here. ‘Crash-gate’ is the title given to the scandal when Nelson Piquet intentionally crashed within the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix as a part of a plan to benefit his team-mate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win the race.
When what occurred turned public a yr later, then Renault staff principal Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds have been banned from the game, Briatore indefinitely, Symonds for 5 years. Renault itself was given a two-year suspended ban.
Renault stop F1 as a staff proprietor on the finish of 2009, and offered the staff to an funding group known as Genii Capital, which saved the title Renault in 2010, after which ran as Lotus till 2016.
Renault stayed concerned in F1 as an engine builder and returned as a staff proprietor in 2016, shopping for again the staff. It set itself an preliminary five-year plan to change into aggressive, which was not achieved, regardless of some progress being made.
The staff was rebranded as Alpine for 2021, when it set a brand new plan, this time to be aggressive inside 100 races. Successfully a second five-year plan.
They received a grand prix, with Esteban Ocon in Hungary in 2021, in a race of significantly uncommon circumstances. And Alonso was excellent in getting a podium in Qatar in 2021 and placing the automobile on the entrance row within the moist in Canada in 2022.
However valuable little apparent progress was made, and previously two years the staff has gone backwards.
The Alpine interval has been characterised by turmoil, with a succession of administration adjustments and a few very apparent examples of mismanagement.
The obvious of those was once they managed to lose each Alonso and Oscar Piastri in a single summer time in 2022.
Essentially, on this interval, Renault has recognized what it has needed however not given any actual indication that it understands learn how to get it.
Introducing Briatore was an try by Renault chief government officer Luca de Meo to inject some course and vigour into the staff.
Nevertheless it stays to be seen what that course is.
On the face of it, closing the Renault F1 engine facility and switching to Mercedes engines from 2026 is a short-term manner of each saving cash and growing competitiveness, as Renault has lagged behind all through the hybrid period, and the corporate was clearly not keen to spend the cash to change into aggressive.
The cost laid towards Renault is that it betrays a storied historical past of the model in F1, and misunderstands how groups have historically change into frontrunners. Though McLaren are presently proving a manufacturing unit engine partnership is just not required to win world titles.
As for Briatore, it isn’t for me to say whether or not it is proper or fallacious that he be allowed again.
In 2010, a French courtroom overturned the ban imposed on him. Symonds has since been rehabilitated. One may argue that Briatore has paid for his misdemeanour and ought to be given an opportunity to work once more.
Others will suppose that is fallacious. However the sport as a collective has determined in any other case.
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