Who is Oliver Oakes? Everything you need to know about Alpine’s former team principal

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Alpine brought a new name into Formula 1 after appointing Oliver Oakes as the man to replace Bruno Famin as their team principal in 2024, so here is all you need to know.

Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo sought to make changes at the top of Alpine in July 2024 by moving Famin aside and appointing Oakes. The Enstone crew entered F1’s 2024 summer break just eighth in the constructors’ championship with 11 points from the first 13 rounds.

Famin only took charge of Alpine in August 2023 as he initially replaced Otmar Szafnauer on an interim basis. The vice-president of Alpine Motorsports took over the team permanently in February 2024. But he oversaw Alpine design an overweight car which lacked downforce.

Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes founded Hitech Grand Prix in 2015

So, Alpine turned to Oakes in their search for a new team principal, with the Briton arriving in Enstone in August 2024. He reported directly to De Meo after impressing Groupe Renault with his work in charge of Hitech Grand Prix, the junior series team that Oakes founded in 2015.

Hitech GP became one of the top junior series crews under Oakes’ watch with teams across Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, Formula Regional and GB3. Drivers including Liam Lawson, Marcus Armstrong, Isack Hadjar and Paul Aron have each raced with Hitech GP in Formula 2.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from engine to lineage

Thanks to Kazakh billionaire Vladimir Kim purchasing a 25 per cent stake in the Silverstone natives in 2023, Hitech GP even expressed an interest in entering Formula 1 from the 2026 season. Oakes still has a 75% ownership share in Hitech GP, who F1 turned down for 2026.

Joining Alpine as their latest team principal effective from August 2024 thus saw Oakes get his big break in Formula 1. He never made the pinnacle of motorsport during his own days as a racing driver. Oakes is a former karting world champion and he was even a Red Bull junior.

Oakes was born into racing with his father, Billy Oakes, the founder and owner of the former Formula Renault and British F3 team, Eurotek Motorsport. Ollie, as he is often known in the paddock, even worked as a director for Eurotek Motorsport before the team was dissolved.

Oliver Oakes built close ties with Helmut Marko as a Red Bull junior driver

His racing days also started at the age of just four when Oakes began karting. He later swept the World Formula A Karting Championship title in 2005 while still attending King’s School in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Oakes beat a field featuring Valtteri Bottas and Jules Bianchi to the title.

His move to single-seaters followed in 2005 as Oakes entered the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series. But his karting success never transitioned to single-seaters across his stints in Formula BMW, Formula Renault, British F3 or the GP3 Series until Oakes called time in 2010.

Oakes achieved his best campaigns in single-seaters with P6 in the 2006 Formula BMW UK season and P4 in the 2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. But he only sealed a solitary race win during his 2006 Formula BMW UK campaign over the 18 races that term.

Still, Red Bull signed Oakes to their junior driver academy in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He drove with their backing during the Briton’s career-best campaigns in Formula BMW UK and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. But Red Bull elected to drop Oakes after 2007.

Yet thanks to being a part of the Red Bull junior team, Oakes and Helmut Marko also forged close ties. He remains close with the Red Bull motorsport advisor, as well. But his failure to shine in GP3 as one of six full-timers with no points in 2010 led Oakes to team management.

Oakes founded his first team in 2011 to compete in karting and went on to run drivers such as Callum Ilott and Nikita Mazepin. The experience Team Oakes gave Ollie then put him on course to create Hitech GP, which has grown into one of the most respected junior squads.

Oakes became a team principal in Formula 1 after Alpine hired the Briton to replace Famin in July 2024. De Meo appointing Oakes even made him the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1 history. Christian Horner holds the record after taking over Red Bull aged just 31.

On 6th May 2025, Oakes resigned from his role as team principal with immediate effect. Flavio Briatore took up his position alongside his role as Executive Advisor at Alpine.

F1 Oversteer has taken a look into everything you need to know about Oakes, including what his life outside of Formula 1 looks like…

What is Oliver Oakes’s age? When was he born?

Oliver Oakes was born on January 11 in 1988, making the Alpine team principal 37 years old.

Where was Oliver Oakes born? What is his nationality?

Oliver Oakes was born in the English village of Hopton near Norwich in Norfolk, England and is British. He joined two other British team principals in Formula 1 by replacing Bruno Famin. Christian Horner has been at Red Bull since 2005 and James Vowles joined Williams in 2023.

Oliver Oakes’ net worth

Through his portfolio of investments including Hitech GP, Oliver Oakes boasts a net worth of £12m as of July 2024. Oakes also oversees a combined total asset value of £29m, which has a total current liabilities total of £16m. He has also run Oakes Recruitment LTD since 2018.

What has been said about Oliver Oakes?

Oliver Oakes stood out to Groupe Renault CEO Luca de Meo for his energy and passion while Alpine sought a new team principal to replace Bruno Famin in July 2024. His enthusiasm for racing was also vital for convincing De Meo to appoint Oakes from his position at Hitech GP.

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.”

Oliver Oakes career single-seater stats

Below, F1 Oversteer lists the career single-seater stats of Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes. He also won the South Garda Winter Cup – ICA karting title in 2003, Andrea Margutti Trophy – ICA title in 2003 and the CIK-FIA World Championship – Formula A karting crown in 2005.

2005 Formula Renault UK Winter Series: 4 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2005 Formula Renault 2.0 Italy Winter Series: 4 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2006 Formula BMW UK: 18 races, 1 win, 4 podiums, 2 poles

2006 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC: 2 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2006 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 6 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2006 Formula BMW ADAC: 2 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2007 Formula Renault 2.0 NEC: 14 races, 0 wins, 4 podiums, 0 poles

2007 Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup: 14 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2008 British Formula 3: 10 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 1 pole

2008 International Formula Master: 2 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2008 Formula 3 Euro Series: 2 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2009 British Formula 3: 4 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles

2010 GP3 Series: 16 races, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 poles