Anatomy of a comeback

In 2020, two years after the Carlos Ghosn scandal, Luca de Meo was tasked with transforming Renault Group. His strategy? To redesign cars that stand out, such as a new R5, and to focus on EVs and products made in France. He wanted the Alpine brand to be a French Porsche. His ambitious plan was certainly appealing, but the company's financial situation continued to raise doubts.

In early 2021, Renault announced record losses. The Group drew support from Dacia, the low-cost brand moving upmarket. Luca de Meo opted for innovation: Luc Julia, the man behind Siri, created an onboard copilot for R5. Renault turned its French plants into a revolutionary electric complex. In 2022, the invasion of Ukraine followed by F1 failure weakened the Group once again.

Following a thorough reshuffle, the Alpine F1 team and Bruno Famin took part in an extreme team-building session with the GIGN. While Renault prepared for the return of the iconic R5, Dacia set its sights upmarket with Bigster. At the same time, Alpine needed to get results in both F1 and the Le Mans 24-hour event. Maybe Renault was taking on too many big challenges at once?

In early 2024, Sébastien Loeb tested the future Dacia for the Dakar Rally. The R5 caused a stir at the Geneva Motor Show. Renault won Car of the Year with Scenic. These successes demanded relentless lobbying in the Senate and in Brussels to promote electric cars. At Alpine, sporting results remained disappointing, prompting Luca de Meo to call on F1 legend Flavio Briatore.