Death of François Castaing (1945-2023)

What a career... A graduate of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers, François Castaing was recruited by Gordini. His mission was to prepare the engines for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When the brand was bought by Renault, the group decided to entrust him with the technical management of Viry-Châtillon, and therefore of Renault Sport.

This made him one of the key men in the development of F1, on the chassis side, alongside Jean-Pierre Boudy and Bernard Dudot. However, his boundless ambitions led him to look elsewhere and, with his mission accomplished, he was sent to Detroit to work for American Motors, in which Renault held a 46% stake.

When the company was taken over by Chrysler, the new shareholders did everything in their power to keep him, and the future would prove them right. Bob Lutz, Chairman of Chrysler in the early 90s, said of him: "François plays the leading role in the current changes. He's a real hero." And with good reason, with the Jeep Cherookee, the Viper and the LH Sedans, the Frenchman was seen as the main player in the revival of a brand that was in decline at the time.

He shook things up and revolutionised the way in which premises were built, to the point of reducing the design time for new models from seven to three and a half years. Director of International Operations for the Chrysler Group in 1996, he became technical advisor to the Group's CEO in 1998.

A member of the Dodge Viper Team, he went on to work for a number of well-known companies, including Durakon Industries, NextEnergy, Reynard Motorsport and Valeo. In 1998, he even became president of the Detroit Science Center, dedicated to training future generations. Voted Man of the Year by Le Journal de l'Automobile in 1993, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame on 12 October 2010 in Dearborn, Michigan.

Sadly, François Castaing passed away yesterday at the age of 78. To his family and friends, the Endurance-Info editorial team extends its most sincere condolences.