DeMeo still regrets that they didn't keep Alonso at Alpine.

      Luca DeMeo, the head of the Renault Group, turns out to still have time to write books, and his "Sentimental Automotive Dictionary" has just gone on sale in Europe.

      The full title of this curious publication is "Sentimental Automotive Dictionary: A Fascinating Universe on Four Wheels from A to Z."

      Here is an excerpt from the annotation to it: "What happened to James Bond's cars? How many different cars have appeared in the Tintin comics? What are the features of Fernando Alonso's driving style? Will the European automotive industry be able to compete with the Chinese? What difficulties are associated with the operation of electric vehicles?..

      In this book, DeMeo shares his passionate love for cars, his many years of experience, and invites readers on a journey through the world of cars, based on numerous stories, anecdotes, and amazing facts, stories from entrepreneurs who have achieved fame in the automotive industry, legendary designers and racers, as well as reflections on today and tomorrow's automotive industry, which manages to to adapt to global crises..."

      Of course, motorsport fans are most interested in those pages of the Automotive Dictionary that are dedicated to racing and drivers, and there is no need to scroll through them for a long time, because among the chapters placed under the letter A, of course, there are articles dedicated to Fernando Alonso and the Alpine team.

      It is not surprising that at the presentation of the Spanish edition of his book, Demeo primarily spoke about the two-time world champion who played for Alpine, the Renault factory team, in 2021-2022. According to him, he still regrets that they couldn't keep such a rider.

      "He is an incredible person, and he left us, the Alpine team, also because of our fault, because of our mistakes," Car and Driver magazine quotes the Renault Group executive director. "We probably didn't pay enough attention to Fernando, although we still maintain good relations."

      According to Demeo, Otmar Safnauer, who led the team at that time, did not find an approach to a driver of this level, and in the end it all ended with Alonso moving to Aston Martin.

      "I have a lot of respect for Fernando, he's a great champion,– DeMeo continued. – Very few racers are distinguished by his characteristic determination and courage, especially behind the wheel of a good car. I hope he succeeds at Aston Martin, he deserves it."

      Of course, at the book's presentation, the conversation was not only about Alonso, but also about a very specific situation related to Renault's Formula 1 program.

      "When I took over the concern, we suffered losses every day, and some people told me that only a madman could agree to take this position.

      Renault had plans to wind down this entire program, but I found a way to attract investments. However, in Formula 1, our suffering continues every weekend, because I still haven't found a winning algorithm," DeMeo admitted.