Renault has announced that Patrick Faure, President of the Renault F1 Team, will retire after 27 years in numerous positions of responsibility at Renault, in particular at the head of the Sales & Marketing Department and as Chairman and CEO of Renault V1 and Renault Sport.

He will be replaced on April 3 by Alain Dassas, currently Senior Vice President of Financial Operations and member of the Management Committee.

After Renault’s double Formula 1 victory in 2005, Carlos Ghosn paid homage to the performance of the Renault team under the guidance of Patrick Faure, saying "For the company, this Formula 1 victory is a historic event. It is the fruit of Renault's investment and the determination of the entire F1 team, and demonstrates that Renault is capable of excellence. Together with Alain Dassas, our objective is to maintain the successful momentum of the Renault F1 Team.

Faure was born in 1946 in Périgueux, France. A graduate of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration. He was administrative officer at the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations in 1972, then Chairman and CEO of Gelbon in 1977.

He joined Renault in 1977 as Toulouse branch manager. Successively managing director of Renault Austria (1981) and Renault UK (1982), Director, public affairs and corporate communications (1985) and group secretary general (1988).

He was appointed Chairman and CEO of Renault Sport in 1991 and Chairman and CEO of Renault V.I. in 1998.

In 2001 he was named Executive Vice President of Renault and President of Renault F1 Team.

At the end of 2004, he left his duties as Executive Vice President, a position he had held since 1991. He also left the Group Executive Committee, of which he had been a member since it was first set up in 1987. Since January 1, 2005, Faure has devoted himself exclusively to his duties as President of the Renault F1 Team.