ELF's story can be traced back to 1939. It was owned by French government at the very beginning and  transferred to a privately owned corporation in 1994. In 2000, ELF merged with Total which is now the fth largest oil company in the world and an expert in lubricants.

1968	1977	1977-1985
first appearance of ELF in Motorsport with Matra in F1	Elf & Renault introduced turbocharged engine to Formula 1	Renault Team & Elf won over 15 victories, using the turbocharged engine
1989	2005-2006	2010
Renault and Elf brought to Formula 1 racing with a new naturally-aspirated engine, the 3.5l. V10	Drivers' Championships and Team Championships with Fernando Alonso	Renault engines and ELF technology again: Ninth Formula 1 Team Championship