Éric René Boullier (born 9 November 1973) is a French

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

engineer and manager. He was the racing director of the

McLaren F1 Team McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formula ...

from 2014 to 2018. During the 2010 to 2013 seasons, he was the team principal of

Lotus F1 Lotus F1 Team was a British Formula One racing team. The team competed under the Lotus name from until , following the renaming of the former Renault team based at Enstone in Oxfordshire. The Lotus F1 Team was majority owned by Genii Capi ...

, and was vice chairman of Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) until it was disbanded after six years.

Career

Boullier is a graduate of the French Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Appliquées engineering school where he studied aeronautical and spacecraft engineering. In 2002, he took the position of chief engineer with the Spanish

Racing Engineering Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón that currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, where all car prepa ...

team, in charge of its World Series by Nissan programme. In early 2003, he moved to the French

DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...

team to become the managing and technical director, including the A1 Team France operation. At the end of 2008, Boullier became the CEO of Gravity Sport Management, where he was in charge of many young drivers including

Ho-Pin Tung Ho-Pin Tung (; born December 4, 1982) is a Chinese-Dutch racing driver who races with a Chinese license. Career Born in Velp, Gelderland, Netherlands, Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. ...

, Adrien Tambay,

Jérôme d'Ambrosio Jérôme D’Ambrosio (born 27 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing driver, motorsport executive and former Team Principal of Venturi Racing in Formula E. He has previously driven for Marussia Virgin Racing and Lotus F1 in ...

and

Christian Vietoris Christian Vietoris (; ; born 1 April 1989) is a German racing driver. He competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, most recently for HWA Team. Vietoris has also been a part of the revitalized Mercedes-Benz Junior Team, together with Robert W ...

. After the season, the

Renault F1 The French automotive manufacturer Renault has been associated with Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1977. In 1977, the company entered Formula One as a constructor, introducing the turbo engine ...

team was bought-into by investment company

Genii Capital Genii Capital (simply known as Genii and stylized as GƎИII) is an international financial advisory and investment firm, which specialises in brand management, technology, motorsport and a range of venture capital activities. It was created in 2 ...

. One of Genii's leading figures is Gerard Lopez, who is a major backer of Gravity Sport. On 5 January 2010, Boullier was announced as the new team principal, despite never having worked in Formula One before. The Renault F1 team finished fifth in the World Constructors' Championship in and, following Renault's withdrawal, the newly named Lotus Renault GP team finished fifth in the World Constructors' Championship in . For 2012, Boullier remained as team principal, which was renamed again to

Lotus F1 Team Lotus F1 Team was a British Formula One racing team. The team competed under the Lotus name from until , following the renaming of the former Renault team based at Enstone in Oxfordshire. The Lotus F1 Team was majority owned by Genii Capital ...

. He continued in that role for the 2013 season. On 24 January 2014, Boullier resigned as Team Principal for

Team Limited. Gérard Lopez assumed responsibilities as

Team Principal with immediate effect. On 29 January 2014, Boullier was appointed racing director of the

McLaren McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...

Formula One racing team under

Ron Dennis Ronald Dennis CBE (born 1 June 1947) is a British businessman and Official British Business Ambassador for the United Kingdom. He is best known for his former role as owner, CEO, chairman and founder of McLaren Group. Dennis was removed from h ...

, chairman and chief executive officer of McLaren Group. The announcement was made as part of a larger senior management overhaul at McLaren Group's racing unit. On 4 July 2018 he announced his resignation from McLaren Racing. In February 2019, Boullier joined the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Champions ...

organization as strategic sports and operational advisor and ambassador, and was named managing director in January 2020.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boullier, Eric 1973 births Living people People from Laval, Mayenne Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées alumni French motorsport people French automotive engineers A1 Grand Prix people Formula One engineers French sports agents McLaren people Renault people Sportspeople from Mayenne