Oliver Oakes has resigned as the team principal of Alpine after 10 months at the F1 crew with executive adviser Flavio Briatore taking over the Briton’s role in Enstone.
The Briton took charge of Alpine last July when Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo convinced Oakes to leave the junior team he founded, Hitech Grand Prix, and replace Bruno Famin. Yet his duties were often limited by Briatore actually pulling the strings, and Oakes has now left.
Alpine issued a statement confirming Oakes’ resignation with immediate effect this Tuesday, along with announcing that Briatore has taken over the responsibilities of the team principal role in addition to his role as the executive adviser. But Alpine did not reveal why Oakes quit.
Oliver Oakes quit as team principal after Alpine ‘leaked’ Flavio Briatore sacked Jack Doohan in Miami
Now, however, Auto Action has reported that Oakes quit as the Renault-owned crew’s team principal mere hours after Alpine ‘leaked’ that Briatore sacked Jack Doohan on Sunday night at the Miami Grand Prix. Reserve driver Franco Colapinto has now taken over the drive, too.
Oakes was ‘the loudest voice’ defending Doohan inside Enstone after Briatore put more and more pressure on the Australian to deliver in his rookie F1 season after Alpine paid Williams £8.5m to sign Colapinto. Briatore also overruled Oakes to get the Argentine over to Enstone.
So, Alpine now leaking that Briatore sacked Doohan after his Miami GP retirement following his first lap crash with Racing Bulls racer Liam Lawson proved to be the final straw for Oakes. He is also ‘not a big fan’ of Colapinto and Oakes did not want the 21-year-old to be at Alpine.
Oliver Oakes was fighting a battle with Flavio Briatore he would never win to buy Jack Doohan more time
Oakes took pride in transforming Alpine’s atmosphere upon joining the Renault-owned team in July last year. He felt Enstone was a ‘tricky place’ following a raft of personnel changes but hit reset to bring order within the capacities of his team principal role under Briatore’s reign.
Now, though, the Briton has become the latest name to leave Enstone in what appears to be a direct response to Briatore axing Doohan to promote Colapinto. The Argentine has joined Pierre Gasly in an Alpine race seat and will debut at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
Given Oakes was the biggest supporter of Doohan at Enstone and he is not a huge fan of the Buenos Aires native who succeeded the Gold Coast native, it is less surprising that he quit after 10 months in charge – especially as Groupe Renault CEO De Meo is a big Colapinto fan.
It appears that Oakes was fighting a battle against Briatore and De Meo that he would never win by trying to earn Doohan more time to find his feet in Formula 1 at Alpine. The 22-year-old is one of four drivers still to record a point this season, with a best finish of P13 in China.
