The last appearance of a Renault engine in Formula 1 could not have gone unnoticed… except perhaps in France. And that's something Frédéric Vasseur refuses to accept. In Abu Dhabi, the Ferrari boss was keen to close a chapter of history, but above all to denounce what he considers a particularly French cultural ingratitude.
The man who was a major player in many French motorsport successes didn't mince words in his interview with Sky Sports F1 and other media outlets, including Automotive : " Renault was a whole chapter of my life… I have one small regret: in France, we don't seem capable of realizing the good things we do. »
Viry-Châtillon, cradle of engines renault f1 For over 45 years, it has won everything: 12 drivers' titles, 11 constructors' titles. Legends have been powered by it: Williams, Benetton, Red Bull…
And even if Alpine has degraded the heritage in recent years, Vasseur It recalls a simple truth: we don't realize how much Viry was at the center of the F1 world for decades. »
The Frenchman, now at the helm of the legendary Scuderia Ferrarirefuses to let this heritage sink into oblivion, much less into national indifference:
« We tend to point out what doesn't work, never to celebrate what does work »
Frédéric Vasseur: " It's not just motorsport. It's France. »
The French complex: always criticizing, rarely celebrating… If Vasseur He bangs his fist on the table because he sees a country burying its successes instead of making them pillars of collective pride.
And to add: " It's not just motorsport. It's France.In our country, we tend to highlight problems more readily than successes. »
In short: Viry-Châtillon produced world champion engines… But many will only remember that period Alpine in crisis.
At a time when Renault/Alpine has already turned the page on F1 hybridization to focus on other programs, Vasseur wants to remind everyone that behind the controversies, there are women and men who have written the history of sport. We must commend what has been done. And never forget it. »
Frederic Vasseur He put his foot in it — and he was right to do so. France It doesn't always recognize itself as the nation of engineers and innovators that it is. It was time someone said it loud and clear.
