The Formula 1 paddock experienced new shaking when the Alpine F1 team immediately forced Oliver Oakes out of his team principal role after six 2025 season races. Oakes’ swift departure takes place during an uncertain period for the team who has faced ongoing struggles to achieve competitive results throughout this season thus far.

Oakes’ July 2024 team appointment represented a surprising choice because he had built his motorsport resume through Hitech GP operations across Formula 2, Formula 3, and F1 Academy. When Alpine underwent a full team reconstruction post-2023 futility Oakes took the Renault-owned company’s helm. Oakes took over from Bruno Famin and forged an unapproved leadership partnership with F1 veteran power broker Flavio Briatore in his comeback role as an advisory team member. Briatore will take over additional team responsibilities as an interim leader after Oakes left suddenly.

Officials issued a succinct aligned announcement which read: BWT Alpine Formula One Team announced Oliver Oakes’s departure from his position as Team Principal. The announcement became effective immediately. Flavio Briatore has taken over as executive advisor following the team’s immediate acceptance of Oliver Oakes’ resignation. Starting today Flavio Briatore serves as Executive Advisor while taking on Oliver Oakes’ former roles. The team deeply appreciates Oliver’s work since joining last summer and acknowledges his contribution to the sixth-place finish in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship. The team refuses to provide additional statements about this matter.

Many unanswered questions emerge from this internal announcement. Despite a mid-year comeback during Oakes’ stewardship in 2024 Alpine secured sixth position in constructors’ rankings but 2025 began poorly. After six race weekends Alpine finishes ninth in the constructors’ championship while enduring ongoing technical struggles and strategic errors which compound their already problematic performance.

During his short period in charge Oakes encountered multiple challenges. When he joined F1 management the team already faced monumental strategic choices. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo made a pivotal choice when he officially canceled Alpine’s home-engine development for 2026 regulation compliance. The team decided to buy Mercedes power units as they accepted their Viry-Chatillon engine division no longer possessed the competitive advantage required by Alpine F1.

The paddock sources indicate Oakes left due to power struggles between him and Briatore within the internal organization. The heavyweight expertise Marsh brought to the team had a strong impact on team management which created challenges for Oakes to fully take charge. The combination between Oakes and Briatore apparently led to frequent tensions above the ranks according to paddock insiders although rumors generally painted their partnership in unflattering light.

The team’s latest driver choices bring additional mystery to their operations. A replacement of underperforming driver Jack Doohan with reserve Franco Colapinto is expected for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The recent executive changes demonstrate Alpine’s critical need to break with traditional leadership and track participation in order to achieve better performance outcomes. Pierre Gasly stands as the sole permanent member of Alpine F1’s driver lineup yet he agrees that the team needs more professional and directed leadership from its executives.

Alpine’s future plans remain obscure to outside observation. Under the steering of Flavio Briatore the F1 world watches to determine if his traditional management style will produce benefits for the team or if they will drop behind competing grapplers. Oakes’ future plans are just as unclear as his current situation. A career move back to his Hitech operations or multiple motorsport choices would likely follow, but an F1 return remains possible because of his rising sport profile and ambitious nature.

Stakeholders and Alpine fanbase witness yet another dramatic transition during the ongoing tumultuous evolution of this former Renault Formula One racing organization. The team’s potential return to championship positions has evolved into an unpredictable cycle of new leadership and varying technological approaches and unstable race results. The future path of the team during the remainder of the 2025 season depends entirely on how successful Briatore’s temporary management proves in creating stability while Formula One seeks a long-term solution.

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