Citroën Racing Team Principal Cyril Blais has died aged 46

Monaco Sports Group (MSG), operator of the Citroën Racing Formula E team, Citroën, Stellantis Motorsport, the FIA and the entire Formula E community are deeply saddened to confirm the death of team principal Cyril Blais. Blais passed away at the age of 46.

Out of respect for the family’s privacy and wishes, no further statements will be made regarding the circumstances of his death.

Blais led the Citroën team. He originally joined the team – which was then known as Venturi – ahead of the eighth season as Lucas di Grassi’s race engineer, and subsequently worked with Maximilian Günther for two seasons whilst the team became Maserati. Ahead of the 10th season, Blais was promoted to chief engineer and shortly afterwards rose to the role of deputy team principal. Not long after that, he was appointed team principal, a position he retained when Maserati became the Citroën racing team.

His motorsport career began in 2007 at Manor Motorsport as a race engineer in Formula 3, before he moved to Arden Motorsport in 2012. Blais spent seven years at Arden, rising from chief race engineer in GP3 to chief race engineer in Formula Renault 3.5. Most recently, he served as technical director of the team’s Formula 2 and Formula 3 programmes.

In 2019, he moved into the Formula E paddock and became a race engineer at Mahindra, before joining the Monaco-based team now known as Citroën. Blais was a highly respected figure in Formula E and had previously been named the championship’s ‘Engineer of the Year’. His death is a huge and painful loss for the entire Formula E field.

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Beth Paretta, Managing Director of the Citroën Racing Formula E Team: “We are all deeply shocked by the loss of Cyril. Many members of our team knew him and worked closely with him over several years. Our thoughts are with his family, his friends and his colleagues in the paddock. Cyril believed firmly in this team. We will respect his family’s wishes and honour him in the best possible way by continuing with the same dedication and passion that he instilled in us all, and by continuing to race in his memory.”

Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E: “The loss of our colleague and friend Cyril fills us with deep sorrow. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, his loved ones and everyone who knew him. Cyril’s death is a devastating loss for his family, for MSG, Citroën Racing and for the entire Formula E community. We have lost an exceptional colleague and a person whom many of us were proud to call a friend. The entire Formula E paddock is standing together in support of one another during this difficult time. To honour his extraordinary contribution to the sport, the Citroën Racing Formula E Team and the entire Formula E family will pay tribute to Cyril and his impressive legacy at this year’s Tokyo E-Prix.”

Xavier Chardon, CEO of Citroën, and Olivier Jansonnie, Senior Vice President of Stellantis Motorsport: “It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the death of Cyril Blais, Team Principal of MSG, Citroën Racing’s Formula E partner. This loss affects us particularly deeply, as Cyril played a central role in our Formula E programme from the very beginning of the collaboration between MSG and Citroën Racing. At this difficult time, our thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and all his colleagues at MSG, Stellantis Motorsport and Citroën who had the privilege of working with him.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA): “The entire motorsport community is deeply shocked by this tragic news. Cyril will be sorely missed by all those who were fortunate enough to know him and work with him. He was deeply passionate about motorsport and enjoyed the respect and admiration of colleagues, competitors and friends throughout the paddock. His passion, his determination and his belief in his team characterised everything he did. Beyond his sporting achievements, Cyril will be remembered above all for his integrity. He has left a lasting impression on everyone who worked with him. His loss will be deeply felt. On behalf of the FIA, and on a personal note, I offer my sincere condolences to Cyril’s family, friends and colleagues. Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly difficult time.”

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to Cyril’s family, his friends, his loved ones and all those who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him.