Cyril Abiteboul reflects on his years in F1 and his special encounters with Helmut Marko

Cyril Abiteboul, the former team manager of Renault F1 Team, recently appeared in a lengthy interview for the YouTube channel “Dans la boîte à gants” where he talked about his past in F1. He particularly discussed Renault’s decline after winning two consecutive world championships with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.

The decline of Renault after 2006.

“The lesson in all of this is the power of sporting results, which take everything. We had two very good years in 2005 and 2006. We switched from Michelin to Bridgestone and that was it,” Cyril Abiteboul recalls during his interview. “In 2007, Fernando left, he came back in 2008 and the results were still mediocre, even though the check to bring Fernando back was not mediocre. We had immense pressure on sporting results and that’s when we started making mistakes. In 2009, there were no sporting results and a financial crisis. Renault was almost in a safeguard procedure to avoid bankruptcy. And by December 31, the team had to no longer be in Renault’s accounts. I was in charge of the matter, and I wasn’t alone, and had to find a solution. And at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, I met Gérard Lopez. We found a solution to sell the team while remaining minority shareholders. But most importantly, and it was very important to me, to keep a foot in Formula 1 through our engine identity. And I’m glad to have convinced Renault to remain as a engine supplier. In addition, at that time, there was this adventure with Red Bull, which is a rising force,” added the former director of the Renault F1 Team.

The meeting with Helmut Marko for the partnership with Red Bull.

A meeting that left a lasting impression on Cyril Abiteboul. The former team principal of the Renault F1 Team, from 2016 to 2020, recounted his very first encounter with Helmut Marko, the head of Red Bull’s junior program responsible for powering the Austrian team from the 2007 season until 2018.

My first meeting with Helmut Marko was out of this world. I felt like I was stepping into a James Bond movie. It’s no secret that Helmut Marko has a glass eye. It’s a bit unsettling the first time, especially if you’re not prepared for it. He has a thick Austrian accent that you can cut with a knife. When he speaks, every word counts and they’re definitely not words of endearment. He’s someone who puts a lot of tension into relationships. I was absolutely not ready for that. I found myself facing an Austrian who is willing to do anything to win. And we can see how well that works. Those were the first moments where we clashed over engine prices. Right away, I was caught up in a relationship that was quite adversarial with Red Bull during these negotiations,” remembers Cyril Abiteboul.

Despite the separation between Renault and Red Bull, to make way for the engine supplier Honda, this collaboration allowed the Austrian team to win four constructors’ titles, with Sebastian Vettel, and consecutive drivers’ championships from 2010 to 2013.