Rebranding the Renault Formula 1 team as Alpine has been instrumental in building the awareness and value of the revived marque as it prepares to introduce a range of seven sporty EVs and enter the US market, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has revealed.

“Even if we have lost some money on F1, we have to take that as a kind of a marketing investment for the rest,” he said. “We multiplied Alpine sales by three with the same car, the A110, at the end of the life cycle; normally [sales of] cars at the end of life cycle go down. And if you calculate the value of the Alpine brand today compared with four years ago, we have some studies and analyses that show it has multiplied by three. So F1 is a huge booster for awareness, at least, if not position [on track]. So it was a very good marketing investment.”

Competing against and sometimes beating established names in front of some 750 million people globally gives Alpine credibility, de Meo believes: “F1 is the pinnacle of industries. You see yourself competing with Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes etc, rather than some funky names, which is better for us, because it's a kind of a translation of the real world.”

That the audience is increasingly younger and more female too is also a major positive for Alpine. A third of viewers are now under 35, and even more so on social media, while around 40% of fans are women, up from just 8% as recently as 2017.

De Meo said: “Some day, F1’s new younger fans will become customers, so you invest in the future. A brand that doesn't speak to young people is in 20 years dead. 

“We actually offer products that are potentially accessible to young people. Look at the A290. How many young girls do you see driving a Mini? That’s exactly the same category.

“I'm pleased to see Formula 1 growing in terms of audience, getting younger, getting beyond the motoring enthusiast, because when you get out of the niche, that makes the whole business interesting, because you actually reach more people, which is good for any sport.”