Alpine has announced the unexpected departure of team principal Oliver Oakes, occurring only six races into the current Formula 1 season.
Flavio Briatore, currently serving as an executive advisor, will immediately assume Oakes` responsibilities.
Oakes, aged 37, had only assumed leadership of the team in July of the previous year. This transition occurred just one month after Briatore rejoined F1 in an advisory capacity following a significant absence from the sport.
Briatore previously managed the team during its time as Renault, successfully guiding them to back-to-back championship victories in 2005 and 2006.
The announcement made on Tuesday coincides with increasing speculation that the team is planning to replace reserve driver Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto, a situation that has been a significant topic of discussion surrounding the team since the beginning of the year.
Oakes was repeatedly asked about the potential Colapinto driver change during the preseason testing period and throughout the recent Miami Grand Prix weekend.
The timing of his exit will inevitably lead observers to question whether his decision to leave is connected to this ongoing situation.
According to a statement released by the team: “Alpine wishes to thank Oliver for his contributions since joining last summer and for his role in helping the team achieve sixth position in the 2024 Constructors` Championship.”
The statement concluded by noting that: “The team will not be providing any additional comments on this matter.”
Upon his hiring last year at the age of 36, Oakes became the second-youngest team principal in F1 history. The only team boss younger at the start of their tenure was Christian Horner, who began his role at Red Bull in 2005 at age 31.
During his period leading the team, Alpine achieved a notable double podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix held last year.
Dominic Ashworth