Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore has strongly denied reports suggesting that a disagreement between himself and Oliver Oakes was the reason for Oakes` recent resignation as team principal.
Alpine announced on Tuesday evening that Oakes had stepped down after serving only 10 months in the role. His responsibilities will now be taken on by Briatore, a prominent figure who previously led Benetton and Renault to multiple world championships in the 1990s and 2000s.
Oakes` departure was closely followed on Wednesday morning by confirmation that the team would replace driver Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto for the upcoming races, leading to speculation that the two events were linked.
However, Briatore issued a statement via his Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon, emphasizing that his relationship with Oakes remains strong and that the 37-year-old`s decision to leave was due to personal circumstances.
“A lot has been said in the past 24 hours, incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views. This is completely false and far from the truth,” Briatore stated in a message shared jointly with Alpine`s official Instagram.
“Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together.”
“We accept Oli`s request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.”
“I will continue to be more and more involved with the team, together with the strong management we already have in place. We will work hard on improving our position this season and preparing for 2026.”
A video caption note from the original article discussed why Franco Colapinto was given only a five-race deal with Alpine in place of Jack Doohan.
The Instagram post also included remarks from Oakes, corroborating Briatore`s account of events.
“It`s been a privilege to lead everyone at Enstone, what a team, what a place,” Oakes commented.
“It is a personal decision for me to step down. Flavio has been like a father to me, nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity.”
“Everyone is in place for 2026 and where this dream deserves to be. I believe in Enstone.”
Oakes founded the Hitech Grand Prix team in 2015, which has achieved success in junior single-seater categories like Formula 2 and Formula 3. Before team management, the Briton was a racing driver, winning the 2005 karting world championship.
He took over the Alpine team principal role from Otmar Szafnauer in August 2024 and oversaw a notable double podium finish for Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in Brazil later that year.
Another video caption note from the original article mentioned Jack Doohan`s frustrated comments to his Alpine team after being eliminated early in a qualifying session in Miami.
Briatore is a controversial figure in Formula 1 history, particularly for his involvement in the `Crashgate` incident at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, where his driver Nelson Piquet Jr. intentionally crashed. Although he initially received a lifetime ban, this was later overturned by a French court.
The 75-year-old returned to F1 in May 2024 as an executive advisor for Alpine. His previous F1 career highlights include championship victories with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and with Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.
Marcus Prine