Oliver Oakes shares the ‘unfortunate’ thing he’s ‘realised’ about Alpine since taking over

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Oliver Oakes replaced Bruno Famin as the team principal of Alpine following the summer break. Famin took on a different role within the business amid the team’s miserable 2024 form.

There has been little for Oakes to cheer on track since he started his role at the Dutch Grand Prix. Pierre Gasly finished ninth that weekend, but the team hasn’t scored a point since.

In Azerbaijan, they surrendered eighth place in the constructors’ to Williams, who notched a double-figure haul. They’re on course for their lowest finish since 2016, when they were still known as Renault.

Oakes, the founder of the Hitech team in the junior categories, shouldn’t carry the responsibility given the timing of his arrival. He’s in charge of the day-to-day running of the team, while F1 veteran Flavio Briatore, an advisor to Renault owner Luca de Meo, makes the biggest calls.

The Englishman joined the team amid major upheaval. He was their third team principal in the space of 12 months, with Otmar Szafnauer sacked at last year’s Belgian GP.

A host of other senior figures either lost their jobs or resigned as the team faced a crisis of identity. That has culminated in them relinquishing manufacturer status and becoming a Mercedes engine customer for 2026.

Oliver Oakes now understands the scale of his task at Alpine

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Oakes admitted that he had his ‘hands full’ at the outset. He hoped he could make a quick impact.

But he now recognises that it will take ‘a bit more time’ to address some of the problems at Enstone. He wants to restore stability and ‘trust’ after recent turbulence.

With minimal changes to the regulations for 2025, Alpine could face another difficult season. But they’ll hope to make a step forward following the regulation changes, potentially with a best-in-class power unit in the back.

“There are good and bad sides to this,” Oakes said. “The bad is, of course, that I had my hands full right from the start. But the good thing is that you can improve things quickly.

“Unfortunately, I’m realising that some things need a bit more time. You need patience. And you have to build trust. This team has been through a lot in recent years. We now have to make sure that the next steps are right.”

Flavio Briatore opens door to 2026 Alpine signing that could be bad news for Jack Doohan

Oakes didn’t have a say in Alpine’s driver market decisions this year. By the time he joined, the team had already renewed Gasly’s contract and mutually agreed to part with Esteban Ocon.

The team promoted reserve driver Jack Doohan as Ocon’s replacement, but he’s only signed a one-year deal. That indicates that he still needs to prove himself in 2025.

It’s unclear how much input Oakes will have into that decision. But Briatore has openly spoken of his interest in another driver.

Alpine are ready to sign Carlos Sainz for 2026 if he becomes available. That may require a payout to Williams given that he’s signed a multi-year contract.