"An extraordinary colleague" - Looking back at Cyril Blais' motorsport journey

Credit: Formula E

The sudden death of Citroën's Formula E Team Principal Cyril Blais has come as a shock to the Formula E faithful, only days away from the penultimate race weekend of the season in Tokyo. Blais, 46, had been an instrumental figure in bringing the French manufacturer into Formula E in Season 12.

Having worked across three different Formula E teams, Blais cemented his name as one of the senior figures in the Formula E paddock.

"Cyril's passing is a devastating loss for his family, for MSG, Citroën Racing, and for our entire Formula E community," said Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds on the news. "We have lost an extraordinary colleague, and someone many of us were proud to call a friend."

"To honour his immense contribution to the sport, the Citroën Racing Formula E Team and the wider Formula E community will pay tribute to Cyril’s memory and incredible legacy during this weekend’s Tokyo E-Prix," Dodds commented on his colleague and good friend.

Coming through the ranks, Blais has been immersed in motorsport right from his early days. A bachelor's degree in motorsport from Coventry University and a Master's in Vehicle Dynamics from Kingston University gave him the grounding to grow in the motorsport industry.

He would take up a role of race engineer at Manor Motorsport in the erstwhile GP3 championship back in 2007, before moving to Arden's GP2 (and later Formula 2) operations in 2012.

Blais would rise to become the team's Technical Director in 2016, spearheading and working closely with Arden's F2 drivers, including Formula E full-timers today such as Norman Nato, Dan Ticktum and Maximilian Günther at this stage. He would also be a part of the late Anthoine Hubert's journey in F2, during the 2019 season.

"Cyril was dedicated to our sport, earning the respect and admiration of colleagues, competitors and friends across the paddock. His passion, determination and belief in his team were evident in all he did," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, acknowledging his former colleague's achievements in F2, F3 and later Formula E.

"Cyril will be remembered for the integrity he brought to our sport. He made a lasting impression on everyone who worked alongside him, and his absence will be felt deeply." he continued.

Blais would move to Formula E in 2019, first taking up a role as a race engineer for three seasons. He would serve as Alex Lynn's race engineer during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, overseeing the Briton's last Formula E win at London from the pit wall.

The following season would see him move to the erstwhile Venturi outfit, serving as a race engineer to Lucas di Grassi. Following the transition into Maserati for the Gen3 era, Blais took up the role of chief engineer, before serving as the deputy team principal under James Rossiter.

With Rossiter's departure at the end of Season 10, Blais took up the role of team principal, bringing in two new faces to the team in Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes.

Battling through the ownership struggles and the backroom stories at Maserati, Blais would lead the team to glory for one last time in Tokyo, with Vandoorne winning in a rain-affected, red flagged race in May 2025.

His efforts would bring about a smooth transition for the Monaco-based, Italian outfit, laying the grounds for Citroën's single-seater and Formula E debut in Season 12, alongside assembling a star-studded line-up in race-winners Nick Cassidy and Jean-Éric Vergne.

"Many of the team have known and worked with him for several years. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues throughout the paddock.

"Cyril believed so much in this team, and we will respect his family's wishes to honour him in the best way we can, by continuing to race in his memory with the exact dedication and passion he instilled in all of us," commented Citroën Racing's Managing Director Beth Paretta.

It was under Blais' leadership that the French manufacturer would sign Paretta's services from IndyCar, bringing in valuable leadership and expertise into the team's first Formula E campaign.

Moreover, he would also be an influential figure in moving Citroën's Formula E base from Monaco to the Stellantis headquarters in Satory, France, instilling clear belief and trust with the top management in bringing the project to reality.

"This loss is particularly painful for us, as Cyril played a major role in our Formula E programme from the very beginning of our collaboration between MSG and Citroën Racing.

"During this difficult time, our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and all the colleagues at MSG, Stellantis Motorsport, and Citroën who had the privilege of working alongside him," Xavier Chardon, CEO at Citroën and Olivier Jansonnie, Senior VP, Stellantis Motorsport said, on their esteemed colleague's sudden death.

Blais remained a humble figure, delivering hard work and integrity to rise through the ranks of motorsport and smoothen the transition, not once, but twice within the Citroën and Maserati camps. He will certainly be missed among those in the paddock.

DIVEBOMB extends its prayers and wishes to Blais' family, relatives, friends and the colleagues who worked with him during his tenure in motorsport, across several teams and championships, delivering his expertise and knowledge to the best effect.