Alpine has a new very young leader at the helm, and his name is Oliver Oakes. The French team has just communicated the news which arrived a few days after the end of the weekend in Belgium, during which Bruno Famin announced his retirement from the role to concentrate on the other motorsport activities of the Renault Group in Viry-Chatillon.
Oliver Oakes team principal Alpine, a new beginning for the team
Oakes, a former driver and member of the Red Bull Young Driver Programme, has a long career in motorsport which saw him found the Hitech Grand Prix team in 2015. The appointment was greeted with enthusiasm within the team, with Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault, who said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Oli to the team and see him become one of the youngest Team Principals the sport has ever seen. This team has been built for future success and this is highlighted by the appointment of Oli in a senior role.”
The decision to appoint Oakes comes at a critical time for Alpine. The team is in difficulty, with only 11 points in the constructors' championship and an eighth place in the standings, far from the hoped-for successes. Recent disappointing performances have led to a series of internal changes, culminating in the arrival of Flavio Briatore as executive consultant. Briatore's arrival brought a wind of change to Alpine. With his vast experience and decisive approach, Briatore began to reorganize the team to return it to the top of Formula 1. The appointment of Oakes, in which the Italian entrepreneur played a key role, is seen as a fundamental part of this strategy, with the aim of creating a cohesive and competitive team.
“I am happy that we were able to recruit Oli Oakes for our Formula 1 project,” said Briatore. “Oli is very talented with a great record of leadership and racing success. His transition to this role is a great example of the strength and confidence we have in our team and emerging young players.”
Who is Oliver Oakes: from Karting to Formula 1
Oliver Oakes began his motorsport career as a driver, winning the Karting World Championship in 2005. Subsequently, he moved into single-seater racing, competing in Formula BMW and Formula Renault. Despite some initial successes, his driving career did not reach the hoped-for heights, prompting him to move into team management.
In 2011, Oakes founded Team Oakes Racing, a karting team and driver management service. Among the drivers managed by Oakes are well-known names such as Callum Ilott and Marcus Armstrong. In 2015, he founded Hitech Grand Prix, which competes in Formula 2 and Formula 3, proving he has a natural talent for leadership and team management.
“I am extremely grateful to Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore for this opportunity to bring the BWT Alpine F1 Team back to competitiveness,” said Oakes. “The team has talented people and excellent resources within it and I am sure we can achieve a lot together during the rest of this season and in the long term. I can't wait to get started after the summer break.”
With Oakes at the helm, Alpine hopes to overcome recent difficulties and return to competing at the highest level. Oakes' young age and enthusiasm, combined with Briatore's experience, could be the key to bringing the team back to competitiveness.
Source statements: Motorsport.com
