Who is Oliver Oakes? Everything you need to know about Alpine F1's new team principal

Team principal of Hitech GP — Photo: © IMAGO

Alpine

Who is Oliver Oakes? Everything you need to know about Alpine F1's new team principal

All you need to know about Alpine F1's new team principal Oliver Oakes

Yara Elshebiny

Wednesday 31 July 2024 15:57

Following Alpine's announcement at the 2024 Belgian GP that Bruno Famin would be stepping down as team principal, the Enstone-based outfit have unveiled Oliver Oakes as his successor.

This is not the first time Spa-Francorchamps has served as the backdrop for a leadership change at Alpine. Last year, it was at this very track that the team parted ways with their then-team principal, Otmar Szafnauer.

F1 HEADLINES: F1 team announce NEW team principal in summer break shake-up

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The Enstone-based squad have clearly been in a state of flux, searching for the right personnel to steer them towards the right path.

In a bid to stabilise the situation, Alpine confirmed that Oakes will be taking the reins after F1's annual summer break, while Famin will transition to oversee all other motorsport-related activities within the Renault Group.

But who exactly is Oliver Oakes, and what does he bring to the table?

Oliver Oakes - Early life and career

Born on January 11, 1988, in Norfolk, England, Oakes has a lineage deeply rooted in racing. His father, Billy Oakes, founded the former Formula Renault and British F3 outfit Eurotek Motorsport.

Karting was the natural starting point for the Brit, and, by the age of 12, he had already secured two British Open Championships.

His meteoric rise culminated in a World Karting Championship title at just 17, beating the likes of Valtteri Bottas and the late Jules Bianchi.

This early success earned him a coveted spot in the Red Bull Young Driver Programme, where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Sebastian Vettel.

Oakes' transition to car racing showcased early promise as he dominated his debut Formula BMW race in 2006 with Carlin Motorsport, securing pole position and a victory, and ending the season in sixth place.

In 2007, he joined Motopark for the Formula Renault Eurocup season, finishing 12th, and then joined Eurotek Motorsport the following year to compete in the British Formula 3 Championship.

He then joined Carlin Motorsport for the 2009 season, but left after two rounds. Oakes spent the rest of the year as a test driver before racing in the GP3 Series for Atech CRS in 2010, finishing 28th overall.

Oliver Oakes will now call the shots at Alpine as team principal

While he showed early promise as a driver, his career trajectory took a different path as he transitioned from the cockpit to the management side of the sport.

His management journey began with Team Oakes Racing, a karting outfit that nurtured some of the sport's notable talents, including the likes of Callum Ilott, Marcus Armstrong, and Nikita Mazepin.

In 2015, Oakes elevated his operation to the single-seater ranks, forming Hitech Grand Prix as a successor to Hitech Racing which was initially founded by David Hayle in 2003.

The team's success story is intertwined with the support of Dmitry Mazepin and his company Uralkali, a partnership that, while controversial in recent years due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, contributed to Hitech's rise.

But despite the challenges faced, Hitech have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in F2, claiming victories with the likes of Luca Ghiotto, Mazepin, Liam Lawson, Juri Vips and Jak Crawford, and challenging championships in almost every series in which they have competed.

Now, Oakes will assume the role of Alpine's team boss following the summer break, making him the second youngest team principal in the sport's history at the age of 36, with Christian Horner being the youngest at 31 when he took over at Red Bull.

He will oversee a driver lineup that includes Pierre Gasly, whose contract has been extended until 2025, and Esteban Ocon, who is set to depart the French team for Haas at the end of the current season.