Oakes and Briatore as the 'new Horner and Marko': 'It's not a one-man show'

Midway through the season, Alpine experienced yet another leadership shake-up. The team welcomed back Flavio Briatore, the man who had previously guided them to four world titles with their drivers, as an advisor to Alpine CEO Luca de Meo. Briatore's return to Formula 1 was accompanied by the appointment of a new team principal.

In July 2024, after a year with Bruno Famin at the helm, Briatore named 36-year-old Oliver Oakes as Alpine's new team principal. At just 36, Oakes became the youngest team principal in Formula 1, bolstered by Briatore's support.

Briatore as Alpine's Guiding Force

“Flavio is above everyone,” Oakes told GPblog.com. “He’s already done it all. I think there’s a clear alignment between myself, Flavio, and Luca. It’s very much a partnership between the three of us. There’s no horg chart, no power play. It's really transparent and I think there's something probably that was missing maybe before as well.”

“I'm the man on the ground, whether that's at the factory or that's here on track. But I think you can see Flavio's at most races. He's at Enstone a couple of days a week as well. I guess as well, if you look at teams in F1 that have been successful over the years, there's been a real strong leadership and they've been really aligned.”

Oakes emphasized that their leadership structure mirrors that of other top teams. “There are three of us: Luca as group CEO, Flavio as advisor, and me as team principal. I think really titles don't mean much. It's whether the three of you are aligned in the direction you're going.”

Briatore’s Mentor Role

Given Briatore’s storied career as a successful team principal, many see him as a paternal figure within Alpine. While Oakes brings experience from motorsport, Formula 1 presents unique challenges, making Briatore’s mentorship invaluable.

''Yeah, he might say that. Sometimes he gives me a clip around the ear, though. (laughs). No, I'm joking. Look, he's been in this team twice, and twice he's turned it around. I think that experience, that passion he has, is something that's infectious. F1 has changed quite a bit over the years, but the basics are the same.''

''You need great people, you need to make a good car and you need to make sure everything is about racing. Everything else is all secondary. I think having him with me helps to support that ,because it is a big job you know it's 900 odd people and 24 races. I think it's not a one-man show.''

''We have David (Sanchez) as our technical director who joined just before me as well. We've announced Dave Greenwood as racing director in the build-up to this weekend. And I think it's not just at the very top, me, Flavio and Luca. There's two or three as well under me there, who are also part of that leadership group. And I think that's exactly what's needed to have a strong team and everyone working together as well.''

Drawing Parallels with Red Bull

Oakes’ career path naturally draws comparisons with Red Bull Racing, not least because of his past as a Red Bull Junior Team driver. While his racing career didn’t take off, Oakes found success as the owner of Hitech, a team that partnered with Red Bull to nurture young talent.

In mid-2023, when speaking to GPblog.com, Helmut Marko highlighted Oakes as a team principal with potential, likening his relationship with Briatore to the dynamic between himself and Christian Horner. Oakes acknowledged the parallels.

''I think there's probably a little bit of that. I think a lot of people always want to talk about the similarities between me and Christian, Helmut and Flav. I think they are a very successful organisation over there at Red Bull. I think there are some similarities and there are also some differences. The one thing that works there, doesn't necessarily work here.''

''For me, it's just really simple that the three of us work together and the most important thing is, does the chemistry between us work? Do we all get on? And we do. And I feel really fortunate because at the end of the day, i'm not alone and I think that's one thing in F1 now. It is complex, there is politics, there is people to deal with, there is a car to develop and I really think that's something that's actually a real strength of the team probably from the middle of the season through to now that people are getting energy from.''

Stay tuned to GPblog.com for more from our exclusive interview with Oliver Oakes, including his vision for Alpine, his initial impressions of the team, and an update on his Hitech operations.