Alpine boss Oakes embraces challenges head-on

DOHA: It’s been just over three months since Oliver Oakes became Alpine’s team principal. At 36, the former British racing driver is the second-youngest team principal in Formula 1 history, after Christian Horner, who was 32 when appointed by Red Bull. Oakes’ appointment was the latest in a series of staff changes at Alpine. He is the team’s third boss in just over 12 months, having replaced Bruno Famin, who was reassigned to a full-time role at their base in France.Becoming Alpine’s team principal wasn’t a role Oakes had always envisioned for himself. In his own words, he says, "My wife wasn’t too thrilled since my summer holiday was cut short,” but he has embraced the challenge with enthusiasm.Oakes became the World Karting champion in 2005 and joined Red Bull’s young driver program. Although his promising racing career never took off, he went on to manage his own karting team and later formed Hitech GP, which competes in Formula 2 and Formula 3.Speaking to Gulf Times at the Lusail International Circuit on Friday, Oakes acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead as he helps rebuild the famed organisation, previously known as Renault. When he took over, the team had fallen to ninth place in this year’s constructors’ championship.While there was a mini resurgence, with a stunning double podium at Sao Paulo putting Alpine in firm contention for sixth place, Haas has overtaken them again – albeit by just one point – after Pierre Gasly suffered a disastrous race at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, where he retired after qualifying a stunning third just 24 hours earlier. Esteban Ocon compounded Alpine’s misery by finishing 17th out of 18 runners, after having to pit one more time than necessary due to an early call to change tyres before his crew was ready.It meant that Alpine came away point-less from Las Vegas, dropping from P6 to P7 in the constructors’ standings. Haas now sits in sixth on 50 points, one ahead of Alpine, with RB on 46 points in P8.On Friday, during the Sprint qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, Gasly had another strong qualifying performance for Alpine, securing eighth, but Ocon was knocked out in Q1."It wasn’t lost on me before joining that the team had faced criticism, much of it undeserved. This is a team with a deep F1 heritage, successful in many forms over the years. The recent seasons have been tougher, and leadership changes added to the challenges. But since joining, I’ve felt a strong sense of positivity, particularly with leadership now aligned across myself, Flavio (Briatore), and Luca (de Meo),” he says.Alpine has taken the next step in their rebuild by confirming they will use Mercedes power units and the Silver Arrows’ gearboxes from 2026. Alpine’s power unit has been the least competitive on the grid for several years, and at some circuits, their deficit has cost them several tenths of a second — a significant gap in modern-day F1, given how tightly packed the field is.In his short time as team boss, Oakes has taken bold steps, including promoting Jack Doohan from reserve driver to a full-time seat for next season, where he will replace Ocon and drive alongside Gasly, becoming the grid’s second confirmed rookie."The decision to step away from being a works team and to change our engine partnership was emotional but strategic,” Oakes explains. "We were transparent about our reasons, and the team rallied behind it. It’s a bold move that signals where we want to go as a team. At the core, we aim to stay humble and focused on racing, climbing up the grid, and achieving more.”"In the short term, my goal was to avoid making drastic changes. I wanted to understand the team, build chemistry, and focus on areas needing attention. Long-term, our power unit decision reflects our ambition to climb back to the front. It was a tough call but necessary to position the team for future success.”Oakes acknowledges that stepping into a leadership role mid-season gave him a unique opportunity to integrate quickly with the team, both at the factory and trackside. "One of the great things about joining in the summer is that you get to meet not just the factory team but also the race team. If you join in the winter, you might not immediately have the chance to build those relationships or see everything in action. My wife wasn’t too thrilled since my summer holiday was cut short, but that’s part of the job,” he says."Looking back, I’d say my impressions of the team haven’t changed much after nearly four months here. The fundamentals are as I expected. It’s all about finding the right chemistry, getting everyone aligned, and pushing in the same direction. Some priorities shifted as I got a clearer view of the team’s inner workings, but that’s to be expected,” Oakes adds.With two races remaining for the season, Oakes is confident Alpine can finish in sixth. "We were fortunate with our result in Brazil — it was a fantastic boost. Since Austin, it’s been clear the car’s performance is improving, which is a testament to our hard work. Few teams manage to make such strides mid-season. The Brazil result has put us firmly in the fight for P6, a close and competitive battle,” he says."We faced some setbacks, like Pierre’s issue in Vegas, but challenges like these are part of motorsport. They keep us sharp. What excites me most is the team’s spirit—there’s a deep competitiveness and a hunger to improve. After setbacks, we focus on the positives and stay united.”