Alpine’s executive advisor, Flavio Briatore, has denied any suggestion that Oliver Oakes’ resignation as team director was related to disagreements over the driver lineup.
Oakes’ immediate departure was confirmed on Tuesday, just before the announcement that Jack Doohan would be replaced by Franco Colapinto as the team’s second driver for at least five races.
The initial statement regarding Oakes’ departure, which also confirmed that Briatore would assume the responsibilities of the position, indicated that Alpine would not make any further comments on the matter.
However, on Wednesday, both Briatore and the team’s Instagram account published a statement that included a quote from Oakes, where personal reasons were mentioned.
It’s a personal decision to leave the position. Flavio has been like a father to me, he has always supported me and given me the opportunity. Everyone is ready for 2026 and where the dream deserves to be.
Oliver Oakes
Briatore explained that the statement was necessary to correct some reports about Oakes’ departure following Tuesday’s announcement.
Briatore added: “Much has been said incorrectly in the last 24 hours associating Oli’s resignation decision with an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different points of view. This is completely false and far from the truth.”
“Oli and I have a very good relationship and we had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together. We respect Oli’s request to resign and, therefore, we have accepted his resignation. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.”
“I will continue to get more and more involved with the team, along with the strong management we already have. We will work hard to improve our position this season and prepare for 2026.”
The connection between Oakes’ departure and the change of drivers arose after the former team director repeatedly answered questions about Doohan’s position in the team during the pre-season and the recent Miami Grand Prix weekend.
Colapinto, who joined Alpine from Williams on a loan deal brokered by Briatore in January, will debut for Alpine at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola next weekend.
