Flavio Briatore, Alpine`s executive advisor, has dismissed rumors suggesting a disagreement between him and team principal Oliver Oakes led to Oakes stepping down from his role.
Alpine announced Oakes` resignation on Tuesday evening. He had served as team principal for only 10 months. Briatore, who managed multiple championship-winning teams like Benetton in the 1990s and Renault in the mid-2000s, will be taking over his responsibilities.
The news of Oakes` departure closely followed the team`s confirmation on Wednesday morning that driver Jack Doohan would be replaced by Franco Colapinto for five races. This timing fueled speculation that the two situations might be connected.
However, Briatore released a statement via his Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon. In it, he maintained that his relationship with Oakes remains strong and that the 37-year-old`s exit was due to `personal` reasons.
“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 post shared jointly with the official Alpine team Instagram account.
He continued, “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.”
Briatore also confirmed he would increase his involvement with the team: “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.”
The same social media post included a statement from Oliver Oakes, confirming Briatore`s account.
“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.”
He concluded, “Everyone is in place for 2026 and where this dream deserves to be. I believe in Enstone.”
Oliver Oakes` Background
Oakes founded Hitech Grand Prix in 2015, a British-based team that has achieved success in single-seater championships like Formula 2 and Formula 3. A former racing driver himself, Oakes won the karting world title in 2005.
He took over the Alpine team principal role from Otmar Szafnauer in August 2024 and was at the helm when the team secured a notable double podium finish with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in Brazil later that year.
Flavio Briatore`s Background
Briatore is a controversial figure in Formula 1, known for his involvement in the 2008 `Crashgate` scandal. The incident involved his driver, Nelson Piquet Jr., deliberately crashing during the Singapore Grand Prix to benefit his teammate, Fernando Alonso.
His involvement initially resulted in a lifetime ban from F1, but this ban was later overturned by a French court.
The 75-year-old Italian returned to the sport in May 2024 as Alpine`s executive advisor.
Briatore has a long history of success in F1, managing teams to championships with Michael Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, followed by Fernando Alonso in 2005 and 2006.