Skip to content

Frederic Vasseur leaves Renault ahead of 2017 season

Fred Vasseur and Renault part with immediate effect by mutual consent; Cyril Abiteboul remains as managing director

Frederic Vasseur has left his post as Renault's Formula 1 team principal.

After just one season in the role following the manufacturer's return to team ownership, the Frenchman and Renault have agreed to part company by mutual consent.

The Formula 1 Gossip Column

Sky F1's Martin Brundle tweeted: "This is a big surprise and suggests further underlying problems."

Cryil Abiteboul remains Renault Sport's managing director with Jerome Stoll president. Renault said that they and Vasseur "remain committed to maintaining the good working relationship they have enjoyed and expect this to take a new form sometime in the future".

Renault finished ninth out of 11 teams in the 2016 Constructors' Championship after a late takeover of the cash-strapped Lotus team the previous winter.

Vasseur was hired by Renault on the back of glittering career in the GP2 Series as team boss and co-founder of the ART team. He worked with a number of drivers who would go on to enjoy successful F1 careers, including Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

Also See:

When do the 2017 F1 cars launch?

Nico Hulkenberg also won his GP2 title with ART and has signed to join Renault for the 2017 season.

Speculation of management unrest at Renault surfaced mid-way through last season. After initially being appointed racing director, Vasseur was made team principal in July with Abiteboul moving from Renault's engine base in France to the team's factory in Enstone to oversee changes.

Engine director Remi Taffin, chassis director Nick Chester, MD Cyril Abiteboul,  technical officer Bob Bell,  and team principal Frederic Vasseur
Image: Friom left to right: Engine director Remi Taffin, chassis director Nick Chester, MD Cyril Abiteboul, technical officer Bob Bell, and outgoing team boss F

Kevin Magnussen, who turned down a one-year contract extension to join Haas, blamed Renault's "messy" approach to their prolonged 2017 driver search for his departure.

The Oxfordshire-based outfit will launch their new 2017 car on February 21 as they target a move up the grid in F1's new aero era. Britain's Jolyon Palmer stays on to partner the incoming Hulkenberg.

Vasseur is the second senior F1 team chief to leave his position in as many days after Paddy Lowe was put on gardening leave by Mercedes. The Briton is expected to join Williams later in 2017.

Get Sky Sports F1
Get Sky Sports F1

It's the only place to watch every race live in 2017

Around Sky