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Alpine F1 team hires road car specialist Woods for new COO role
Renault has promoted Audrey Vastroux to the position of COO at its power unit base in Viry, while appointing a new COO, Richard Woods, at its Enstone facility. These moves are part of an ongoing restructuring following the departure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer. Bruno Famin, the vice-president of Alpine Motorsports, has taken over as the permanent team principal. Vastroux and Woods will oversee the operations in their respective facilities, allowing Famin to focus more on racing operations. Famin highlighted that the COO position is a back-office role that requires someone experienced and pragmatic, rather than an F1 expert. Woods has a background in manufacturing at Group Lotus and McLaren Automotive, while Vastroux has been with Renault since 2006 and has worked in various roles. Famin expressed his belief that these appointments will provide strong support for the team and contribute to the improvement of processes in the day-to-day operations. Having someone on-site at both Enstone and Viry will be beneficial for the team.
