Cyril Abiteboul
From project manager in Renault's marketing department to Hyundai Motorsport president.
Cyril François Roger Abiteboul (born 14 October 1977) is a French auto racing engineer and manager. He has served as the team principal of Hyundai Motorsport since 2023. From 2012 to 2014 he was the team principal of the Caterham Formula One team, and was the managing director of the Renault F1 Team from 2014 to 2021.
- Role
- Team Principal
- Affiliation
- Renault F1 Team / Alpine F1 Team
- First Appears
- 2013 (as Renault Managing Director)
- Status
- Former Leadership
- Key Achievement
- Oversaw transition to Alpine brand identity
Lore & Background
Abiteboul was educated at the Lycée Carnot and Lycée Chaptal high schools in Paris, and studied multidisciplinary engineering at Grenoble Institute of Technology. He has one tattoo, as a result of a lost bet with Daniel Ricciardo, where he would get a tattoo if Ricciardo achieved a podium finish, which he did, finishing 3rd in the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. It is a vintage Renault logo on his right calf with a stylized honey badger, Ricciardo's personal mascot.
In Their Own Story
The rain lashed against the glass of the motorhome as Cyril Abiteboul stared out at the wet circuit. The paddock buzzed with rumors of change, whispers of a new name replacing the familiar blue and yellow that had dominated his career for years. He held a prototype logo in his hand, feeling the weight of history and the pressure of the future. 'We are not just changing colors,' he murmured to himself, watching the safety car glide by. 'We are rewriting our story.' The engine roar faded into the distance, replaced by the quiet determination of a man ready to lead his team into an uncharted era.
Reader's Guide
After graduating in 2001, Abiteboul joined Renault at Boulogne-Billancourt, looking after the Renault F1 website. He was made Business Development Manager for the Renault F1 team in 2007 and became executive director of Renault Sport F1 in 2010. He joined Caterham F1 Team in September 2012. On 8 November 2012, Abiteboul was appointed as team principal of Caterham, taking the place of Tony Fernandes. In July 2014, after his departure from Caterham had been announced, Renault confirmed his return as managing director of Renault Sport F1. He left Renault as the racing team rebranded to Alpine in 2021. In May 2021, Abiteboul joined Formula 2 engine supplier Mecachrome as their motorsport advisor. He joined Hyundai World Rally Team as team principal in 2023 and was appointed president of Hyundai Motorsport at the end of the year.
Did You Know?
- Abiteboul's tattoo of a vintage Renault logo and honey badger resulted from a bet with Daniel Ricciardo after the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
- He was never team principal of Alpine; he left Renault when it rebranded to Alpine in 2021.
- Abiteboul started his career as a project manager in Renault's marketing department, not as a website manager.
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