The Viry-Chatillon location that housed the Alpine Formula 1 engine base was the scene of a mysterious break-in earlier this week.
According to French publication Le Parisien, the incident occurred on Monday evening, with police confirming that two individuals entered through the entrance hall.
The pair made their way up to the upper floor, where the offices of high-ranking management and executives of the French marque is positioned.
Police sources hinted that, given that the office doors were opened, the individuals may have had knowledge of the layout of the location.
“Nothing was stolen. Everything is fine. There were no employees there at the time,” a source close to the team was quoted as saying to the publication.
It has been confirmed that the Division of Territorial Crime has launched an investigation into the break-in as theories for why it occurred has begun.
One early possibility is industrial espionage, amid public discontent voiced by staff of the team’s decision to convert the facility into an engineering base for Renault Sport.
That came after the team opted to close the facility as its engine manufacturing hub, after a decision led by Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore was taken to convert the team from its current status as an Original Engine Manufacturer to a Mercedes customer team from next season.
Viry-Chatillon has been used as Renault’s engine manufacturing base for almost five decades, opening in 1977.
Two years later, it produced the first turbocharged engine to win a Grand Prix, before pulling out at the end of 1986.
Three years later, it returned to F1 with Williams, sparking one of the most successful team-and-engine partnerships in history.
In total, Renault has won a total 12 Constructors’ Championships and 11 Drivers’ Championships with Williams, Benetton, Red Bull and as its own works team.
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