Official: Eric Boullier becomes Director of the Renault F1 Team

Gérard Lopez, the new majority shareholder of the Renault Formula 1 team, announced the replacement of Bob Bell with Eric Boullier as the head of the French team. The replacement will take effect at the beginning of the year.

With the story of the Crashgate at the 2008 Singapore GP, a chapter has turned in the book of the Renault F1 Team. Once Briatore and Symonds, who were leading the team, were banned by the FIA, Renault appointed Bob Bell and Jean-François Caubet as interim managers while waiting to clarify the team’s future.

Renault is today assured of continuing in Formula 1, and the new majority shareholder, Gérard Lopez, who owns the Luxembourg investment fund Genii Capital, has appointed a new Director. It is Éric Boullier, the Director of Gérard Lopez’s other company – Gravity Sports Management.

Boullier is already known in motorsport for having led the DAMS team in GP2 from January 2003 to November 2008. He also managed the French team in A1 Grand Prix before handing over to Olivier Panis and joined the staff of Gravity, a company specializing in the management of high-level athletes, last year.

The information, although official, is not final. Renault F1 has indeed signed a pre-contract with Genii Capital for the purchase of 50 to 75% of the team’s shares. The definitive contract is expected to be signed at the beginning of January, and only then will Boullier be able to take up the position of Director of the Renault F1 team. Bob Bell and Jean-François Caubet will then resume their former positions in the team, namely Technical Director and Head of Communications, respectively. Bernard Rey, for his part, remains the President of the team.