25 février 2020
Patrice Ratti steps down at Renault Sport MD
It is with some sadness that we say goodbye to a Renault Sport legend as the company’s managing director Patrice Ratti steps down after an incredible nine-year stint at the helm, to be succeeded by Robert Bonetto.
Patrice, who is leaving the company to pursue new personal challenges, leaves behind a long list of achievements, including the Renault World Series that led to the discovery of current Renault Sport F1Ⓡ Team drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon, and a succession of record-breaking runs at the famed Nürburgring circuit with different generations of the Mégane R.S. in 2011, 2014 and 2019.
A pioneer of Renault Sport’s ‘from track to road’ philosophy that saw a steady flow of cutting-edge racing technology adapted to firmly instil Renault’s racing DNA in road cars, his other great achievements include being the driving spirit behind the Renault Sport R.S. 01 in 2014, the famous Clio R.S. 16 (2016) concept, the Latin American success of the Sandero R.S. in 2015 and the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R that was named 2019 performance car of the year in a number of different international publications including BBC’s Top Gear and France’s Argus.
Patrice joined Renault in 1981 after graduating with a degree in engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques Avancées in Paris and an MSc from California’s Stanford University. Originally an engineer with the Renault Sport F1Ⓡ team, he soon became Chassis Operations Manager before being appointed to Safrane’s Architectural Engineering Department.
A thirst for knowledge that would benefit both himself and Renault led to him gaining an MBA at Insead, a qualification that saw him then take on the role of Project Director at the Espace project in 1993. A number of international appointments within the Renault family soon followed with Ratti globetrotting around the world to take up positions in Mexico, Portugal and Morocco before following Rémi Deconinck as head of the Renault Sport Technologies Division in 2010. Created in 2002, Renault Sport Technologies Division went on to become Renault Sport Cars in 2016.
After an exciting career in the Renault group, which began in the Renault F1Ⓡ team in the heroic era of the turbo, I have come to know many different professions and several magnificent countries, and I have had many unforgettable memories, beautiful cars and, above all, good times!
All of us at Renault Sport wish him every success in the new challenges he faces.