Alpine F1 Team Goes for Youth, Appoints Oliver Oakes as Team Principal

• The 36-year-old Oakes will become the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1 history.

• It will be the first role in F1 for Oakes.

• Oakes co-founded the Hitech Grand Prix team which currently competes in junior divisions, most prominently Formula 2 and Formula 3.

Alpine has appointed Oliver Oakes as its new team principal, in place of the departing Bruno Famin.

Oakes will be the third team principal in as many years to front the struggling Formula 1 operation when he takes up his position ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.

The 36-year-old Oakes, who will become the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1 history, will take the role from Famin, who will move across to Renault’s engine division.

Famin was only appointed in mid-2023, in place of Otmar Szafnauer, who left the team after just 18 months in charge following disagreements with Renault’s board.

It will be the first role in F1 for Oakes, who will focus solely on Alpine’s Formula 1 operations, compared to the wider remit that fell under Famin’s duties.

“I am extremely grateful to [Renault CEO] Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore for this opportunity to lead Alpine F1 Team back to competitiveness,” Oakes said. “The team has talented people and excellent resources at its core, and I am confident that we can accomplish a great deal together during the remainder of this season and the longer term. I look forward to getting started after the summer break.”

Oakes used to compete in single-seaters, having been a champion in karting, and rose as far at the GP3 Series in 2010, having briefly been part of the Red Bull young driver program.

He co-founded the Hitech Grand Prix team which currently competes in junior divisions, most prominently Formula 2 and Formula 3, and which attempted to enter a team into Formula 1 from 2026, but was turned down by the FIA.

Oakes was recruited by Flavio Briatore, who returned to the team in an advisory capacity in June, with the Italian attempting to simplify the squad’s structure amid its underperformance.

“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Oli Oakes for our Formula 1 project,” Briatore said. “Oli is highly talented with a great record of leadership and success in racing. His move into this role is a great example of the strength and belief we have in our team and by young, upcoming people, and I’m excited to work closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”

Alpine’s owner Renault is in the process of terminating its engine program for the new Formula 1 regulations in 2026 and instead switching to becoming a customer team.

Alpine has Pierre Gasly on a multi-year contract but has yet to announce his 2025 teammate.