Cyril Abiteboul
Cyril Abiteboul | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 14, 1977 France |
| Occupation(s) | Motorsport engineer and manager |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | Team principal of Hyundai Motorsport, Caterham F1 Team, managing director of Renault F1 Team |
Cyril François Roger Abiteboul (born 14 October 1977) is a French professional in automotive racing engineering and management. Since 2023, he has held the position of team principal at Hyundai Motorsport. His previous roles include serving as the team principal for the Caterham Formula One team between 2013 and 2014, as well as acting as managing director of the Renault F1 Team from 2014 until 2020.
Early and personal life
Abiteboul completed his education at Lycée Carnot and Lycée Chaptal in Paris before pursuing multidisciplinary engineering studies at Grenoble Institute of Technology.
He possesses a single tattoo depicting a classic Renault emblem accompanied by a stylized honey badger, which he acquired following a lost wager with driver Daniel Ricciardo after Ricciardo achieved a podium finish at the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
Career
Upon graduating in 2001, Abiteboul began his career at Renault's Boulogne-Billancourt facility, initially overseeing the Renault F1 website. He advanced to the role of Business Development Manager for Renault F1 in 2007 and was promoted to executive director of Renault Sport F1 by 2010.
In September 2012, he transitioned to Caterham F1 Team, having previously been Deputy Managing Director at Renault Sport F1. On 8 November 2012, Abiteboul was named team principal of Caterham, succeeding Tony Fernandes.
After departing Caterham in July 2014, he returned to Renault as managing director of Renault Sport F1. He remained with the organization until it rebranded to Alpine in 2021.
In May 2021, Abiteboul took on the role of motorsport advisor for Mecachrome, a Formula 2 engine supplier.
He assumed leadership as team principal of the Hyundai World Rally Team in 2023 and was elevated to president of Hyundai Motorsport later that year.