Bob Bell to take up new role with Renault

Renault have announce Chief Technical Officer Bob Bell is to move to a new role within the team.

Bell, who joined the team in 2016, will become Renault Sport Racing Technical Advisor, which is described as an evolution of his current role. The post means Bell will be responsible for developing technical collaborations with third parties.

The change will allow Bell to work part time for the team, giving him more time to pursue interests outside Formula 1 following 36 years in the sport. He first joined McLaren’s aerodynamics department in 1982, and has also had roles with Benetton, Jordan, Mercedes and Manor, as well as a brief spell as team principal of Renault in 2009.

In a statement announcing the move, managing director of Renault Sport Cyril Abiteboul said: “In just two and a half years he has helped to make Renault Sport a genuine and respected points scorer. He’s also a massive part of the heart and soul of the team and a real motivator for everyone to draw together and get the best from themselves and each other.

“Under this planned transition within the team’s executive management, Bob will now look closely at how to work with our partners but also the different stakeholders of Formula 1, and of the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance, to ensure we continue to move even further up the grid.”

Bell was appointed for Renault’s return to F1 as a factory team. The team finished ninth in the constructors championship during their first season before jumping up to sixth last year, and they currently sit fourth in the team standings.