On the last day of July it was announced that Oliver Oakes had become the new head of Alpine F1 and in Zandvoort the 36-year-old Briton appeared in the paddock for the first time in this capacity. In an interview with Sky Sports he spoke about the priority tasks that need to be tackled first.
Q: Since you’ve only recently appeared in the paddock, tell us a bit about yourself…
Oliver Oakes: I am a former racing driver, although not good enough, after that I had my own Hitech team, which participated in all the youth series, which are considered steps on the way to Formula 1. You could say that I am doing the same thing now, only I am leading a larger organization – and I am already looking forward to this work.
Q: This is your first weekend in a new capacity: what are your impressions? How is it going in the team in general?
Oliver Oakes: Of course, I still have a lot to figure out, because Alpine has a lot more employees (than the youth series teams), so the responsibility is bigger. But the essence remains the same: we are dealing with racing cars, and the task is for the team to work efficiently and harmoniously.
All this is familiar to me, but the novelty is to perform these tasks at the level of Formula 1. Moreover, it is clear that many different events have happened in recent weeks, and now, after the summer break, we must try to achieve some results.
Q: This is a very serious step for you. What do you say to Flavio Briatore to convince him that you can do all this?
Oliver Oakes: Well, you know Flavio! (laughs) He doesn’t need to be convinced of anything: it’s important for him that you do what he wants you to do. I think he chose me because he wanted an ambitious team manager, a motorsport enthusiast, and I would say he wants to bring back the racing spirit of Alpine. I think that’s the most important thing.
Q: How do you start working in a team?
Oliver Oakes: First of all, we had to announce that Jack Duane would be our driver, and we did that yesterday. I think my next task is to really get to know everyone. That’s impossible in one week. I think a lot of the challenges are related to what happened to the team in the past.
In previous years Alpine did some things well, some things had problems and everyone saw that the car was worse than we would like at the beginning of this season. I hope we can start better next season.
Q: There have been constant changes in the management of the Alps lately, and that is putting it mildly. Did you have any doubts before you agreed to lead this team?
Oliver Oakes: No, unless the doubts are related to the sheer complexity of the tasks ahead. But anyone who knows the Enstone team well will undoubtedly want to lead it. Anyone who works in motorsport wants to be a team leader, and I was lucky: I became one at a young age. So I don’t feel much pressure.
It is generally difficult to work in Formula 1, but in fact Enstone has everything you need to succeed: excellent specialists, the desire to improve. I accepted this offer because I believe in our team. There is a lot to do, especially because 2026 is just around the corner. But I am confident, I just need some time.
Q: The team has a very rich and glorious history; at different times it has been called Toleman, Benetton, Renault and now Alpine. How do you convince people, some of whom have been in Formula 1 for decades, that you can lead the team?
Oliver Oakes: To be honest, I won’t convince them of anything – my actions have to convince them, show them where we are heading. I want people’s faith to be restored after everything they have been through in the past years. I’m not here to change what we do, I’m here to make sure we do it better. The people who work at Alpine know what needs to be done and I’ve had some really good conversations with many of them.
It is an honor to lead this team and it is now my responsibility to ensure we can meet the challenges ahead.
Q: Is there a chance that Jack Duhan will make his Formula 1 debut this year?
Oliver Oakes: I don’t think this has ever been discussed. From my point of view Esteban Ocon is doing well, he and Pierre Gasly are a completely balanced squad and for us it is important that the team earns points.
When we talk about Jack, the task is to prepare him as best as possible for the transition to Formula 1, and we intend to create all possible conditions for that. As for Esteban, I can assure you that he will continue to drive our car until the end of the season.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
