Britain's Oakes becomes Alpine team principal

Britain's Oliver Oakes has become the new team principal of Alpine.

The 36-year-old, founder of the Hitech team that races in junior categories, replaces Frenchman Bruno Famin.

Famin’s departure after just a year in the role was announced at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

An Alpine statement said Oakes, for whom this is a first job in Formula 1, would report to Luca de Meo, the chairman of Renault, which owns Alpine.

De Meo said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Oli to the team and for him to become one of the youngest team principals that this sport has ever seen.

“This team is being built for future success and this is highlighted by Oli’s appointment in a senior role.

“We look forward to harnessing his enthusiasm, energy and passion for racing and realising that mindset across the entire team.”

Oakes’ recruitment comes just weeks after former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore was appointed an executive adviser.

A spokesman said Briatore was a consultant with a direct line to De Meo and there were no reporting lines between Briatore and Oakes.

Briatore said: “Oli is highly talented with a great record of leadership and success in racing. His move into this role is a great example of the strength and belief we have in our team and by young, upcoming people, and I’m excited to work closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”

Oakes, who won the Karting World Championship in 2005, said: “I am extremely grateful to Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore for this opportunity to lead Alpine back to competitiveness.

"The team has talented people and excellent resources at its core and I am confident that we can accomplish a great deal together during the remainder of this season and the longer term.

"I look forward to getting started after the summer break.”

Oakes’ appointment is the latest major change in management over a period of turmoil for the past 12 months, during which many senior figures have left the team.

Alpine slipped from fourth to sixth in the constructors’ championship last year and are eighth after 14 races this season.

However, after starting the 2024 championship with the slowest car in the field, the team have made progress and are now regularly qualifying in the top 10.

Briatore is leading a major restructure of the team and it is soon expected to be announced that Alpine will abandon using Renault's own engines from 2026 and switch to being a Mercedes customer.

This would mean the end of the Renault F1 production facility in Viry-Chatillon near Paris, which has a strong history in the sport.

Renault introduced the turbocharged engine to F1 in 1977, before this technology replaced naturally aspirated engines for much of the 1980s. It was banned from 1989 until 2014 over safety concerns and competitive imbalance.

And it has had many championship successes with Williams and Red Bull.

However, the Renault engine is the least competitive on the grid and Briatore is believed to have convinced De Meo that the most cost-effective route to competitiveness is to end the engine programme.