Flavio Briatore comments on Oliver Oakes’ surprising departure from Alpine F1

The last few days have seen significant shifts in Alpine’s Formula 1 team.

The first notable change, though somewhat expected, was the confirmation that rookie Jack Doohan would replace Williams’ super substitute Franco Colapinto for the 2024 season. This decision was rumored shortly after the Miami Grand Prix, and Alpine put the speculation to rest with an official announcement on Wednesday.

However, the second change came as a much bigger surprise.

Team principal Oliver Oaks, who joined Alpine during the team’s closure last summer and guided them to a remarkable sixth-place finish in the Constructors Championship, has resigned, effective immediately.

This development fueled widespread speculation about a power struggle between Oaks and Alpine’s executive advisor, Flavio Briatore. While the team has chosen not to comment further, both Briatore and Oaks took to social media to address the situation.

Briatore posted on Instagram, claiming that the rumors suggesting Oaks’ resignation stemmed from “disagreements” were “completely false and far from the truth.”

“A lot has been said in the past 24 hours, and there are claims linking the decision to resign with supposed differences in opinion. This is entirely untrue.

“Ori and I had a solid relationship and shared long-term goals for moving this team forward. We respected Ori’s wish to resign, which he requested for personal reasons, unrelated to team matters.

“I will remain increasingly involved with the team, leveraging the existing strong management structure to enhance my role this season and prepare for 2026.”

The social media post also featured a short statement from Oaks.

“Leading the team at Enstone was a privilege. What an incredible group of people.

“My resignation was a personal choice. Flavio was like a father figure to me, and he has been supportive since my involvement began.

“I truly believe in Enstone.”

Looking ahead, the team is now focused on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix next week, which will mark Colapinto’s first race alongside Pierre Gasly. However, there’s uncertainty about how long he will remain in his position. The announcement indicated that Colapinto would race in five events as part of an ongoing evaluation of the driver lineup.

Whether Colapinto can secure his seat beyond these five races will depend on a “new assessment prior to the British Grand Prix” in July.

Formula 1 never lacks excitement.