Luca de Meo Exits Renault, Leaving Alpine’s Future Uncertain
By Team Dailyrevs June 16, 2025
Luca de Meo will step down as Renault CEO on July 15, 2025, after leading the company through a pivotal transformation.
He is widely expected to join Kering, the French luxury group behind Gucci and Balenciaga, signaling a major industry crossover.
His departure raises uncertainty for Alpine’s Formula 1 future and Renault’s long-term electric vehicle strategy.
Steering Renault Back from the Brink
De Meo came on board at Renault in 2020, with a firm to shake off internal scandal and get its bearings in an increasingly electrifying world. His strategy—labeled "Renaulution"—slashed costs, condensed product lines, and reoriented the company toward value, electrification, and performance.
Central to this initiative was the rebirth of Alpine, Renault's long-dormant sports division. Under de Meo, Alpine was reactivated as a motorsport player in Formula 1 but also as an electric performance brand with international aspirations. Luca de Meo steps down, throwing Alpine's F1 future into doubt →
Alpine's revival was a personal crusade to de Meo, who fought to make it a badge of French engineering excellence and a pillar of Renault's brand recovery.
Exit Stage Left — Is It Luxury Fashion?
And now, just as that momentum is beginning to gather, de Meo is exiting.
As per common reports, he will become CEO of Kering, succeeding François-Henri Pinault, who will remain chairman. Who is Luca de Meo? Rumored to be Kering's next CEO →
The justification? Kering is going through its own renaissance. With Gucci lagging and competitors such as LVMH growing strongly, the group requires someone who can craft a brand resurgence. De Meo's experience—at Fiat, SEAT, Renault, and Alpine—perfectly qualifies.
What This Means for Alpine
Alpine's future in Formula 1 is the most uncertain element of the jig-saw. It has found it hard to ascend the midfield hierarchy, and its future vision rested on the profound passion for racing as a brand-builder from de Meo.
His departure also raises again a familiar question: Is Alpine viable without a champion in charge? Its motorsport division, as well as its road car proposals, might now be placed in limbo—or worse, again back on the agenda for elimination in future rounds of cost-cutting.
In addition, Alpine's transition to a fully electric range by 2030 was a cornerstone of Renault's identity during de Meo's time. In the absence of his direction, that ambitious idea could mellow or drag.
Renault's Transition Plan: A Test of Stability
Renault has confirmed that a formal transition strategy is in place, with a focus on "continuity and stability." Investors, though, are taking their time. Renault stock fell modestly after the announcement, while Kering shares ticked higher, implying the market thinks de Meo's turnaround sorcery could be applied—even to another industry.
Though no successor has yet been named, the new CEO will take not only Renault's financials, but its cultural rebranding and Alpine's future, too.