Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore has confirmed that the Formula 1 team is conducting its search for a new Team Principal after the resignation of Oliver Oakes earlier this month.

Briatore, who joined the Enstone-based squad in his advisory role last year, stepped into the breach of team boss on an interim basis, after Oakes resigned immediately after the Miami Grand Prix

The 37-year-old quit amid the arrest of his brother William, a fellow director of the Hitech team, which Oakes heads-up.

Briatore’s return to the role saw him reassume the same position he held at Enstone, back in its previous guises as both Benetton and Renault.

Speaking to media including Motorsport Week ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Briatore said that the team was on the lookout for a new boss.

“We are looking forward. For the moment nothing has changed,” he said. “I feel sorry for Oli because I have a very good relationship with Oli. He was a good Team Principal.

“You know, like everybody knows, for personal reasons he stopped and resigned from Alpine. We are looking. We don’t want to make any mistakes. I prefer to take some time.

“But in the moment we decide what will be the new team manager. Put it this way and we tell you.”

Briatore ‘knows a few people’ keen on Alpine role

Alpine is in its fifth season in F1, and in that short time, it has seen a revolving door with team bosses coming and going.

Its first year saw no official Team Principal, but MotoGP stalwart Davide Brivio and former McLaren and Ferrari engineer Marcin Budkowski both led key director roles.

Brivio was subsequently moved to its young driver programme, with Budkowski resigning in January 2022. Longstanding F1 figure Otmar Szafnauer was named as Team Principal shortly afterwards.

Szafnauer was then replaced mid-2023 by Bruno Famin, who lasted a year and four days, with Oakes then stepping into the role.

The merry-go-round of bosses has caused some instability within the team, and Briatore intimated that he is not only looking forensically for the right person, but that he is aware that a number of unnamed people are interested.

“We are looking for somebody. There are a lot of people doing this kind of job,” he said. “We are looking for somebody good. Somebody who understands. Somebody who is part of the team.

“I know a few people who want to be part of this new trip with Alpine. And we decide quick.”

READ MORE – Christian Horner ‘100% committed to Red Bull’ amid reported Ferrari F1 interest

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Oliver Oakes resigned as team principal of the Alpine Formula 1 team after his brother was arrested in a police raid for “transferring criminal property.”

An exclusive by The Telegraph has revealed that Oakes resigned after the Miami Grand Prix after discovering his younger brother William was arrested last Thursday at the Silverstone Park area.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in possession of a large amount of cash. He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, May 3, and remanded in custody.”

Mr Oakes is listed as one of the directors of the racing team Hitech Grand Prix, which was relaunched by his older brother in 2015, and competes in many junior and feeder categories.

The arrest took place as Oakes was in Miami for the race, and immediately afterwards, flew to Dubai, and subsequently handed in his resignation.

This left Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore in charge of the team on a temporary basis, amid initial speculation the pair had clashed, leading to Oakes’ departure.

However Briatore affirmed this was not the case, and stated the resignation was “of a personal nature.”

Oakes’ Hitech connections with ‘friend’ Mazepin resurfaces

The revelation of William Oakes’ arrest has led to a resurfacing of information regarding the ownership of the Hitech Grand Prix team.

Through the team, which has helped bring through drivers such as Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, the Oakes family has been connected to the family of Dimitry Mazepin.

Mazepin previously owned 75 percent of the team, and with that, his son Nikita – who drove for Haas in 2021 – was handed a seat the year previously.

Uralkali, the Russian fertiliser company of which Mazepin was CEO and is still a shareholder, sponsored the team at the time.

Bergton Management Ltd, Mazepin’s Cyprus-based investment firm, ceded its 75 percent to Oakes through Hitech Global Holdings just days after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mazepin himself was one of a selection of Russian businessmen invited to the Kremlin to meeting President Vladimir Putin in the hours following the start of the invasion.

Oakes asserted at the time that the takeover was “always part of the strategic plan for Bergton Management to exit Hitech in early 2022 and myself to own Hitech fully.”

The two men’s paths crossed earlier this year, when it was revealed that Mazepin had visited the F1 paddock in Bahrain during pre-season testing.

Mazepin was thought not to have been invited by any of the teams, but Oakes was quoted at the time as saying: “I’ve said hello to him. I haven’t met him.

“He’s a friend of mine [and] I used to be together with him in Hitech.

He was here catching up with another friend of his. It’s nice to see him.”

READ MORE – Pierre Gasly hails Flavio Briatore impact amid Alpine driver swap

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Flavio Briatore has dismissed claims that Oliver Oakes decided to step down from his role leading Alpine‘s Formula 1 team over the decision to demote Jack Doohan.

Alpine has commanded the headlines over the last 24 hours as Oakes tendering his resignation preceded the news that Doohan has lost his seat to Franco Colapinto.

Briatore, who returned to Alpine as an Executive Advisor last June, was known to have headed the organisation’s successful attempt to prise Colapinto from Williams.

Meanwhile, Oakes had expressed a public disdain towards the persistent speculation that had overshadowed the beginning of Doohan’s rookie campaign in the sport.

But although the timing suggested that the two events might have been interlinked, Briatore, who has assumed Oakes’ responsibilities, has denied that to be the case.

“A lot has been said in the past 24 hours, incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views. This is completely false and far from the truth,” Briatore penned in an Alpine statement.

“Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together.

“We accept Oli’s request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation.

“The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.

“I will continue to be more and more involved with the team, together with the strong management we already have in place.

“We will work hard on improving our position this season and preparing for 2026.”

Oakes indebted to Briatore

Oakes concurred with Briatore’s sentiment as he expressed that the charismatic Italian, 75, had served as a “father” figure during his stint at the helm since July 2024.

“It’s been a privilege to lead everyone at Enstone, what a team, what a place,” Oakes addressed.

“It is a personal decision to for me to step down. Flavio has been like a father to me, nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity.

“Everyone is in place for 2026 and where this dream deserve to be. I believe in Enstone.”

READ MORE – Pierre Gasly hails Flavio Briatore impact amid Alpine driver swap

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Oliver Oakes has resigned as Team Principal of the Alpine Formula 1 squad with immediate effect and Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore will take the role on an interim basis.

Oakes stepped into the role last August and oversaw a turnaround for Alpine as the Anglo-French squad rose from ninth to sixth in the Constructors’ standings.

Alas, Alpine, although fancied to do so, hasn’t pushed on from its strong end to the 2024 campaign,

The team sits ninth in the standings after six rounds with seven points, just one more than 10th-placed Sauber.

“BWT Alpine Formula One Team announces that Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role as Team Principal,” a statement released by Alpine on Tuesday read.

“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.”

Oakes is the third team boss to depart Alpine in the last two years, following Otmar Szafnauer and Bruno Famin.

Briatore was last a Team Principal in 2009, when his stewardship of the Alpine squad in its former Renault guise ended amid the ‘crashgate’ scandal.

READ MORE – Alpine boss Oliver Oakes stands by Jack Doohan amid Franco Colapinto rumours

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Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes has claimed the outfit is happy with Formula 1 rookie Jack Doohan amid growing speculation he could be replaced by Franco Colapinto.

Doohan has had to face media scrutiny from the moment he stepped inside an Alpine F1 cockpit for the first time as a Grand Prix driver in Abu Dhabi last December.

It all stems from Alpine senior advisor Flavio Briatore’s continued interest in the team’s recently signed reserve driver, Colapinto.

Doohan is yet to score points and a high-profile crash in Suzuka has heaped even more pressure on the Australian, but Oakes has reiterated his support.

“We know there’s a bit of unrest around Jack’s position, but he’s working well,” Oakes told Sky Deutschland 

“So far it’s been ok. He’s staying calm and focusing on himself. 

“There are a lot of rumours about Franco, but at the moment we’re happy.”

Doohan’s FP2 crash, where he failed to close the DRS, was a clear and obvious error and no doubt shook the Australian’s confidence in Suzuka, contributing to a 19th-place finish in qualifying.

It’s the type of performance that won’t help Doohan’s cause, and Oakes admitted that in F1 “You always have to decide what’s best for the team. 

“Every driver in Formula 1 has to perform. They know that.”

Doohan recovered on Sunday to finish 15th, making more ground in the order than any other driver, and he heads to Bahrain this weekend to a circuit he has far greater experience.

Schumacher unconvinced by Doohan

Despite Oakes’ rallying cry around Doohan, former F1 race winner turned Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher isn’t convinced.

“[Doohan] makes a lot of mistakes and is not fast enough,” he said.

“One more thing happened this week. Ryo Hirakawa, who got into the car in the first practice session, was directly on par with Pierre Gasly.

“He gets in and makes this fatal mistake. This will be analysed from the team’s point of view.

“At the moment, he is overwhelmed by the situation. The team will sit down with him and I am curious to see what happens.

“He’s not sure he’ll be at the next race.”

Any uncertainty surrounding Doohan is directly linked to Colapinto, who joined Alpine as a reserve driver from Williams at the start of the year.

The reason is that all parties involved in the Argentine’s career, including Williams, who has effectively loaned Colapinto, believe his past opportunity to land a race seat is with Alpine.

Colapinto was in an Alpine F1 car last weekend at Monza, conducting TPC [Testing of Previous Car] duties in Italy.

Whether that is a sign of things to come is unknown, with the likelihood being the TPC outing was a mere exercise to put Colapinto through his paces and provide some data insights for Alpine to compare its old charger with its contemporary runner.

READ MORE – Franco Colapinto’s manager condemns Jack Doohan ‘abuse’ as Alpine rumours swirl

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Formula 1 team bosses have talked up the exposure the Brad Pitt-led F1 movie will bring to the sport when it lands in theatres this summer.

Top Gun Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has partnered with producers Brad Pitt, Jerry Bruckheimer and Lewis Hamilton to create a realistic racing movie centred around Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes.

They have filmed several scenes across different F1 tracks, including Silverstone and Las Vegas last season, going as far as to film Pitt on track during and in between practice sessions.

F1 is set to boast realism never-before-seen in a racing movie and the latest trailer demonstrated several pulse-raising scenes at the heart of the Grand Prix spectacle.

Upon its international release date on June 25, F1 is set to take the sport into the mainstream, perhaps beyond the realms achieved by Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

“I think it’s going to create a lot more exposure for Formula 1,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

“I think—if you think back to Top Gun—everyone wanted to be a fighter pilot and Tom Cruise after watching that movie.

“I think that’ll be the case with Brad Pitt and motor racing. So I think it’ll bring in some more fans, continue to bring in a more diverse fan base, a younger fan base. I think it’ll be great exposure for our sport.”

F1 produces make ‘great movies’ – Horner

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner hailed the creatives behind F1 and talked up the movie’s potential for putting the sport in front of new eyes and ears.

“Yeah, it’s truly exciting. Jerry Bruckheimer just produces great movies,” Horner said.

“I think this movie—from what we’ve seen so far—puts Formula 1 on the big screen.

“The way they’ve played out the story, it interacts with the last couple of years of racing on track. In terms of the value added that it brings the sport, to our partners, to the brands associated with Formula 1, it puts it in front of yet another audience.

“I’m sure the storyline will fit all categories, but in terms of exposure for Formula 1, it’s outstanding. Looking forward to seeing it released, I think, in the summer of this year.”

The film focuses on Hayes, a retired F1 driver who suffered a life-changing incident in the 1990s and is making a comeback decades later with a struggling team, APX GP.

F1 drivers, including Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen, are rumoured to have cameos in the film alongside glimpses of the real cars on track.

Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes said, “It’s exciting for F1. I think a whole new audience will potentially get hooked on the sport.

“You could see it at the launch in London, as soon as they put a snippet on the screen, everybody was sort of excited and looking when it was coming out. Yeah, looking forward to it.”

Pitt is joined in the cast by Damson Idris, portraying his maverick young team-mate Joshua Pearce, Javier Bardem’s team owner Ruben, and Oscar-nominated Kerry Condon’s technical expert Kate.

READ MORE – Brad Pitt stars in new F1 movie trailer

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Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes believes the Anglo-French Formula 1 outfit is “not very flexible” regarding the switch from 2025 to 2026 car development.

With chassis, aero, powertrain and tyre changes coming for the 2026 season, all 10 F1 teams face a difficult development conundrum: when do you cease development on your current car in favour of stealing a march on the competition next year?

Again, all 10 teams have already begun work on their cars for next year, but the sliding scale of development is tipped firmly in the direction of 2025 given the season hasn’t even started yet.

2025 is poised to be one of the tightest seasons in F1 history and that goes for the front of the pack and the midfield, a fight Alpine finds itself firmly in.

Perhaps that is why Oakes told select media including Motorsport Week during pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit that Alpine is “not very flexible” on when it can put a full stop on 2025 development.

“I can’t speak for other teams, but I think everybody’s sort of juggling that, maybe even a little bit already, because just as you get this car out the door, you’re already having your sort of discussions on planning and what you’re doing,” Oakes said. 

“So I think for us as a team, we’re quite lucky that we’re trying to balance both, because in the end we’re not a small team, but we’re also not one of the big teams either. 

“But I think you’re going to see that, especially after the first few races, it’s pretty evident of where your attention needs to be.”

Will Alpine’s 2025 targets affect 2026 development?

Essentially, any team that is clearly falling short of its season targets after the first few races of 2025 will more than likely shut development down in favour of a full-scale assault on 2026.

For Alpine, the target is to continue where it finished 2024 strongly as the benchmark midfield runner.

“I think continuing the second part of last year and I say that a little bit hesitantly, because I think it’s so competitive in that midfield,” Oakes said of his season target.

“But I think we feel confident where we ended last year, we want to start this year on that same footing.”

Moreover, Oakes said “I think our target is to continue where we ended up at the end of last year, which is we kind of want to be clipping at the heels of those [front] teams.”

It’s a target that Alpine has had before and fallen short of, and rest assured if the team starts 2025 like it did last year, in calamitous fashion, focus on 2026 will start with haste.

But by all metrics Alpine looks to be in a good place regarding the midfield fight, and that perceived lack of flexibility Oakes mentioned could indicate an expectation of a lengthy battle with the likes of Haas and Williams to win the crown of best of the rest this year.

READ MORE – Alpine wants to ‘clip at the heels’ of leading F1 teams in 2025

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Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has targeted heading Formula 1’s midfield battle and “clipping at the heels” of the established top teams during the 2025 season.

That was the Anglo-French marque’s target at the start of 2024, but those hopes were quickly dashed during pre-season testing and the season opener as Alpine was comfortably at the back of the field this time last year.

Oakes, who became Team Principal in August, oversaw a late surge by Alpine, bolstered by upgrades and a surprise double podium in Brazil that saw the team finish sixth in the Constructors’ standings.

Through the final races of 2024, Pierre Gasly was a consistent top-10 threat in qualifying and race conditions and Oakes wants to pick up from where the team left off.

In response to McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella theorising more teams outside of his outfit, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull could challenge, Oakes was asked if Alpine could be one of those in the mix.

“I’m trying to think what I say, because otherwise you sound like you’re not positive,” Oakes told select media including Motorsport Week.

“But I think, if I’m honest, I think always you can see those front teams that are a step ahead. 

“I think our target is to continue where we ended up at the end of last year, which is we kind of want to be clipping at the heels of those teams.

“That’s not to say we’re defeatist, but we’re also quite humbled that it’s bloody close as well.”

Winning F1 midfield battle a measure of success for Alpine

The F1 midfield battle is poised to be tighter than ever in 2025.

Alpine won out against Haas and Racing Bulls for sixth in the Constructors’ standings last year, with Aston Martin’s stronger start keeping it out of reach in fifth.

Aston Martin’s slump and Williams’ strong showing in testing show that four or five teams could be scrapping over fifth in the championship this time around.

Measuring success at this stage is hard, but when asked, Oakes said he wants Alpine to kick on from its strong finish last year and continue to be at the midfield’s forefront.

“I think continuing the second part of last year and I say that a little bit hesitantly, because I think it’s so competitive in that midfield,” Oakes said of his season target.

“And I think the whole grid bunching up, I think the swing of circuits as well. 

“Obviously, I didn’t do the first part of last year, so going back to some of those tracks where I haven’t been and haven’t seen how the team performed firsthand. 

“But I think we feel confident where we ended last year, we want to start this year on that same footing.

“And I think hopefully after these test days, we’re looking in good shape.”

READ MORE – Alpine insists it has been ‘honest’ about F1 driver plans amid Jack Doohan rumours

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Alpine boss Oliver Oakes was quizzed on the surprise Formula 1 paddock return of Dmitry Mazepin during pre-season testing amid the Russian’s former links to the Hitech junior outfit.

Mazepin famously sponsored the Haas F1 team in 2021 through his company Uralkali and the Russian billionaire’s backing helped install his son Niita into a race seat.

However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Haas parted company with the Mazepins with immediate effect and Uralkali’s owner remains under EU sanctions.

That doesn’t stop the Russian oligarch from visiting the F1 paddock with the correct credentials, but curiously nobody in Bahrain was able to account for how Mazepin gained entry into the paddock.

Mazepin made visits to Mercedes and Alpine but no F1 team had any knowledge of who handed the Russian a pass into the paddock, with a source relaying to ESPN: “Dmitry was on a personal visit. He has remained friends with many people in the Formula 1 family and was happy to see them in Bahrain.”

One of the people Mazepin bumped into in the F1 pre-season testing paddock was Oakes.

Mazepin was a major backer of Oakes’ Hitech outfit pre-EU sanctions and his son raced for the junior team.

Speculation suggests that Renault CEO Luca de Meo wants to offload his Alpine F1 team to interested parties and that advisor Flavio Briatore’s job is to facilitate a sale.

Alpine Team Principal Oakes was quizzed on the curious nature of Mazepin’s paddock visit.

“Yes. I’ve said hello to him, I haven’t met him,” he told select media including Motorsport Week.

“Yes, he’s a friend of mine, yes I used to be together with him in Hitech. 

“He was here catching up with another friend of his. 

“It’s nice to see him. I’m not going to go into that, the world’s a crazy place”.

Alpine is not for sale

Time and again, de Meo, Briatore and Oakes have had to refute the notion that the Alpine F1 team could be up for sale.

Fuelling that speculation was the team’s decision to scrap its works engine development in Viry-Chatillon in favour of becoming a Mercedes power unit customer from 2026 onwards.

Slicing the Viry element out of the Anglo-French equation makes a sale of the team simpler, but the line from members of the team is that it isn’t going to be happening.

Speaking at last year’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Oakes said “I know everybody likes to write that [de Meo] wants to sell the team, which isn’t true. 

“He’s always been very firm that he’s in F1 for the long term.

“You can see really how passionate he is about this project. I’m grateful to have him.”

Briatore has been even more adamant that Alpine isn’t for sale.

Speaking to Autosport last year, Briatore said “No, there is nothing for sale.

“Everything, we buy. If we had the opportunity, we [would] buy another one team and I put a managing director in.

“Something is very clear. Luca de Meo never wants to sell the team. Question finito.”

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Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has insisted the team has been “honest” regarding its driver line-up in Formula 1 amid the persistent rumours surrounding Jack Doohan’s drive.

Doohan, who made his F1 debut at the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, is embarking on his rookie campaign having been picked to replace the now-departed Esteban Ocon.

But Alpine signing Franco Colapinto to the team’s reserve driver pool has heightened speculation that he is being lined up to take Doohan’s spot, even as soon as this season.

That has been even extended to reports circulating that an exit clause in his contract could become active should he not hit certain targets within the opening five rounds.

When asked whether he could shut down that claim, Oakes told media including Motorsport Week: “It’s not my line. I think we’ve been really honest as a team as to what we’re doing. 

“I’m pretty chilled on it, and I think it would be nice – I keep saying it – but just let Jack just get on with it, and also let the team get on with it, to be honest.

But while he reiterated that Doohan will begin the season with Pierre Gasly, Oakes didn’t rule out that a mid-season change to place Colapinto in the A525 could transpire.

“I get everybody has an opinion,” he continued. “Everyone can be a keyboard warrior as well.

“It’s very simple, though, isn’t it? We’re here to go racing. We want the best driver in the car, the best engine in the car. 

“From my side, I was pretty open that Jack’s – well, Flavio [Briatore] said it, didn’t he – that we’re starting the season with Jack and Pierre, and then let’s see how it all goes.”

Doohan would have had pressure regardless

Oakes denied that Colapinto’s arrival has been done to increase pressure on Doohan, citing that the emphasis on him to deliver in 2025 would have been present regardless. 

“I think externally everyone sees that, but I see it a bit differently,” he retorted.

“No matter what driver you are, in any category, there’s pressure. It doesn’t matter whether that’s in F1 or even in the junior categories.

“Of course, I think because Franco did a good job last year, he’s got a big fan base, obviously a lot of them here as well, it’s natural that people want to talk about that. 

“But from the other side, I think as a team we’re quite lucky to have three reserves who are very good, and that puts us in a good position.

“I think in terms of whether it’s nice or kind to Jack, I think I was pretty open that he’s driving a Formula 1 car, that’s every boy’s dream, but it’s also his job, and for me, that’s pretty simple.”

Alpine not releasing Doohan expectation

Meanwhile, Oakes wouldn’t be drawn on whether it has laid out expectations to Doohan, highlighting how that will depend on how driveable Alpine’s car proves to be.

Asked what would represent a reasonable gap between his two drivers, he replied: “I don’t know.

“You’ll want a lot of words from me, but you’re not going to put anything like that out there. 

“I think it’s pretty easy to see this year, at the end of the day there’s a lot of rookies on the grid, so you can see how they’re all performing. 

“It’s not necessarily the same for one as it is for another, we know some cars are easier to drive, some are trickier to drive. I think hopefully it won’t even be a discussion anyway.”

READ MORE – Jack Doohan hits back at rumours Franco Colapinto could replace him at Alpine

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