Oliver Oakes opens up on the ‘bad’ aspect of taking over as Alpine team principal

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Oliver Oakes became the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1 history when Group Renault chose the Briton to replace Bruno Famin in charge of Alpine this year.

But it was not an entirely merry takeover when Oakes arrived at Alpine for his breakthrough in F1. Group Renault CEO Luca de Meo chose the 36-year-old to lead the Enstone outfit with Alpine eighth in the constructors’ championship after scoring 11 points in the first 14 events.

Four rounds later and Alpine have even slipped to ninth in the standings with only two extra points to their name. Williams have overtaken them with the Grove squad scoring 16 points this season. Only Sauber rank below, with zero points ahead of the United States Grand Prix.

Oliver Oakes admits taking over Alpine mid-season created an extra problem

Alpine sought a change in leadership by hiring Oakes, the founder of junior series star Hitech Grand Prix, to help improve their long-term prospects. Famin stepped down from the role of team principal to focus on his position as vice-president of Alpine’s wider motorsport teams.

Oakes became the second-youngest team principal in F1 history after Christian Horner, who took over Red Bull in 2005 at just 31. But arriving in Enstone mid-season and in the summer break meant Oakes could not hit the ground running with Alpine as he may have preferred.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 team principal Oliver Oakes

“There’s sort of good and bad [aspects],” Oakes told RacingNews365. “In some ways, when you have a winter, you probably got more time.

“But in the other ways, coming in like I did, just straight into it – both at the factory and trackside – you get up to speed quicker, in terms of just knowing how everything operates, the processes, the people [and] just getting stuck in.”

F1’s unofficial autumn break has allowed Oliver Oakes to make up for lost time at Alpine

Oakes had to stomach a frustrating start to his tenure as the team principal of Alpine across the last four rounds. The Norfolk native is still trying to turn the Enstone natives into a team of his making, and will hope the unofficial autumn break now pays dividends going forward.

While Formula 1 had a four-week gap between the Belgian Grand Prix on July 28 – the final race Famin attended – and the Dutch Grand Prix on August 25 – the first round after Alpine hired Oakes – every team had to completely shut down their factories for two of those four.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

But through the four-week gap between the Singapore Grand Prix on September 22 and the United States GP on October 20, Formula 1 teams could go full steam ahead. A raft of teams like Mercedes have utilised the extended break to prepare upgrades that will debut in Texas.

Oakes, meanwhile, will no doubt hope the extended break allowed the Englishman to make up for the lack of time available to get settled in at Enstone and learn what makes his Alpine staff truly tick. The 2025 season will also be the first term where his changes start to show.