F1: Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes Resigns, Briatore to Take Charge
Oliver Oakes steps down as Alpine F1 Team Principal just after 9 months, adding to leadership instability in the French team.
By Divyam Dubey
Oliver Oakes has stepped down as Alpine’s Team Principal after just nine months, leaving the team at a pivotal moment. The 37-year-old Briton, who took over from Bruno Famin in July 2024, played a key role in Alpine’s strong end to the season, helping secure sixth place in the Constructors' Championship. Despite his brief tenure, Oakes made a significant impact on the team’s performance, highlighting his leadership skills and racing experience.
Oakes’ departure adds to the ongoing instability in Alpine’s leadership, with a series of short-term team principals in recent years, including Otmar Szafnauer and Bruno Famin. This frequent turnover of leadership has raised concerns within the Formula 1 community about Alpine’s long-term strategy. Questions about the team’s future direction and stability are now at the forefront, as the team searches for a new leader to guide them.
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As Alpine seeks a new Team Principal, the F1 world will closely watch their next move. Oakes’ exit comes at a crucial point in the team’s journey, with many wondering whether Alpine will opt for an experienced figure or a fresh perspective. In the interim, Alpine’s current Executive Advisor, Flavio Briatore, will step in to take over Oakes’ responsibilities and lead the team forward.
Alpine said in a statement: 'BWT Alpine Formula One Team announces that Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role as Team Principal. The team has accepted his resignation with immediate effect. As of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as Executive Advisor and will also be covering the duties previously performed by Oliver Oakes.
'The team would like to thank Oliver for his efforts since he joined last summer and for his contribution in helping the team secure sixth place in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship. The team will not be making any further comment.'
Alpine is ninth in the Constructors' standings with seven points, just one ahead of Kick Sauber. Trailing rivals like Haas and RB, they urgently need upgrades to rescue a poor start.
