Alpine Appoints Briton Oliver Oakes as New F1 Team Principal

Formula One team Alpine announced on Wednesday the appointment of Oliver Oakes as their new team principal, succeeding Frenchman Bruno Famin. The 36-year-old Briton, who previously led the Hitech GP team in the lower F2 and F3 categories, becomes the second youngest team principal in Formula One history. Oakes will begin his new role after the summer break and will report to Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead Alpine and is determined to restore the team’s competitiveness.

“The team has talented people and excellent resources, and I am confident we can achieve a lot together for the rest of this season and in the long term,” Oakes said. “I look forward to getting started after the summer break.”

Bruno Famin, who announced his departure during the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend, will step down at the end of August but will continue to oversee all other motorsport activities for the Renault Group.

Oakes’s primary task will be to improve the team’s performance. Alpine is currently eighth in the constructors’ standings, a significant drop from their fourth-place finish in 2022.

The appointment follows a series of changes at Alpine, including the recent arrival of Italian Flavio Briatore as an advisor. Driver Esteban Ocon has announced his move to Haas and has expressed frustration with the team’s performance this season.

Renault is also set to stop producing engines for its F1 team, with Alpine nearing an agreement with Mercedes for the 2026 season. The Formula One season will resume with the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort on August 25.