Oliver Oakes, the Alpine F1 Team principal, has resigned from his position less than a year after his appointment. This move comes as part of a series of leadership changes within the team, which has seen a continuous flux in senior management over the past few years.

Leadership Changes at Alpine

• Resignation Details: Alpine announced on Tuesday that Oakes had resigned, and the team accepted his resignation with immediate effect.
• Interim Leadership: Flavio Briatore, the executive adviser, will now also take over the duties previously handled by Oakes.
• No Official Explanation: The team provided no specific reasons for Oakes' departure and stated that no further comments would be made.

Background and Implications

Oakes joined Alpine in July 2024 from Hitech, a team competing in junior categories. His tenure at Alpine was marked by limited authority, with Briatore being the dominant force in team decisions. Briatore's return to F1, 15 years after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix scandal, was orchestrated by Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo.

Recent Team Developments

• Driver Changes: Alpine is set to replace Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto after just six races this season.
• Engine Transition: Alpine will switch to Mercedes engines next season, following Renault's decision to end their F1 engine program.

Ongoing Turbulence

Alpine has experienced significant instability in its leadership:

• Bruno Famin: Replaced by Oakes in July 2024 after less than a year as team principal.
• Otmar Szafnauer: Lasted only 17 months before being replaced by Famin.
• Laurent Rossi: Dismissed as CEO shortly before Szafnauer's departure.

Current Season Performance

Alpine finished sixth in the 2024 Constructors' Championship and is currently ninth after a quarter of this season. Their best result this year was a seventh place by Pierre Gasly in Bahrain, where he qualified fifth but started fourth due to a penalty for Kimi Antonelli.

Conclusion

Oakes' departure underscores the ongoing challenges and strategic shifts within Alpine, as the team navigates through leadership changes and performance improvements in the competitive world of Formula 1.