Oakes Quits Alpine Amidst Doohan Rumours

Oliver Oakes has left Alpine with immediate effect, the French team confirmed in a surprise announcement on Tuesday evening in Europe.

The former Team Principal’s departure from the Enstone-based team comes amidst rumours that Flavio Briatore, Alpine’s Executive Advisor, has decided to sack Jack Doohan and replace him with the well-funded Franco Colapinto. This indicates that Oakes did not agree with the Italian’s decision.

The team’s announcement stated that “Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role as Team Principal,” adding that “the team has accepted his resignation with immediate effect.” Alpine also states, “as of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as Executive Advisor and will also be covering the duties previously performed by Oliver Oakes.”

Then, as is customary, the team thanked Oakes “for his efforts since he joined last summer and for his contribution in helping the team secure sixth place in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship”, concluding with the predictable sentence “the team will not be making any further comment.”

Oakes’ resignation comes just hours after Alpine sources leaked to British media that Briatore sacked Jack Doohan on Sunday night before leaving Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. The young British manager had been the loudest voice inside the team to defend Doohan publicly since the start of the season.

> Doohan’s Alpine Hopes Still Alive Despite Colapinto Rumours – Auto Action

Having been overrruled by Briatore when the team hired Colapinto, Oakes admitted that, “from my side, I think probably if it had been anyone else who was signed as a reserve driver without a big following and all of that sort of noise that comes with that, it would have been slightly different”, then stating, after the Australian’s early exit from his home Grand Prix, that, “I think it’s fair to say we’ve caused a lot of the noise, so I think that we haven’t put him in the best position.”

That’s because Briatore kept insisting “drivers have to perform at all times”, saying that “we have five drivers under contract” and singing Colapinto’s praises. At the same time, it has become increasingly clear that Oakes is not a big fan of the Argentinian driver. Having followed Colapinto through the junior formulas, as he ran the Hitech team, Oakes never sounded enthusiastic about having the Argentinian in his Formula 1 team.

Quiting Alpine barely nine months after joining the team, Oakes has also taken a leaf out of Frédéric Vasseur’s book, as the Frenchman too ran the Enstone-based team for just one year before leaving in conflict with then Managing Director Cyril Abiteboul, only to return to Grand Prix racing seven months later as Sauber’s Team Principal, before being snatched by Ferrari.

Due to his age and health issues, Briatore is unable to fill the role of Team Principal full-time. The Italian must find a replacement for Oakes urgently, but the task won’t be easy. It’s now clear that the veteran only wants a yes man and not someone who stands his ground.