Renault F1 supremo trolled on social media

Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore at Alpine — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 supremo trolled on social media

Renault CEO Luca de Meo has come under fire in recent months

Kevin McKenna

Sunday 8 September 2024 22:56

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One of Formula 1's key figures has been trolled on social media after posting an update about the future of his team.

In the aftermath of the exchange, the F1 supremo has been strongly criticised online for his recent behaviour.

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The comments come in the wake of protests which were carried out by Alpine staff at last weekend's Italian Grand Prix.

Alpine employees protested in Monza by wearing t-shirts and armbands as a show of solidarity with their colleagues at Renault, who now face an uncertain future after being informed of plans to cease production of F1 engines.

Renault CEO Luca de Meo recently announced the company's intention to stop supplying F1 engines

Mercedes are tipped to become Alpine F1's new engine supplier

'Shameful' Renault CEO backtracks after protests

The company's chief executive Luca de Meo wishes to turn its team into an engine customer rather than supplier, with reports suggesting a deal with Mercedes is in the works for Alpine.

The news however represents a significant blow to the 350 staff at the company's factory in Viry-Chatillon, with many opting to take industrial action amid anger over the developments.

In a further display of protest, an online exchange involving de Meo and Alpine's former legal manager Pierre Chauty has come to light, with the latter revealing his attempts to troll the Renault boss prompted a recent post to be edited.

Posting on his LinkedIn page, Chauty wrote: "Two days ago, Luca de Meo posted on LinkedIn about Augmented Intelligence, using the analogy of a turbocharger in an F1 engine to describe how AI will supposedly help employees 'unveil their full capabilities'.

"Well, you know me, I can’t resist a bit of trolling, so I commented on how this was 'as cynical as it can get', particularly given the looming closure of the F1 engine factory and the potential job losses for the hard-working team at Viry-Chatillon.

"To my astonishment, the post was immediately edited, with the F1 engine analogy removed, and my comment deleted."

Alpine currently sit eighth in the constructors' championship

While admitting the initial post had likely been the work of de Meo's PR team, the Frenchman went on to heavily criticise his actions of late.

"The complete detachment from the reality of the workforce, whose livelihoods are on the line, is appalling," he added.

"For a company to tout the benefits of 'Augmented Intelligence' while preparing to close out an entire factory with 300+ employees, many of whom dedicated years to perfecting Renault’s F1 engines (while being at the forefront of innovation in AI and machine learning within Renault Group), is a shameful display of corporate cynicism.

"Such statements are not just tone-deaf but reveal a deeper problem with leadership that lacks empathy and accountability.

"Editing the post and deleting my comment rather than addressing their glaring contradictions speak volumes about how disconnected this corporate rhetoric has become from the on-the-ground reality.

"It’s high time that figures like Luca de Meo and others in positions of power reflect on the real impact of their decisions, rather than hiding behind (un)carefully crafted social media posts and PR spins."