Flavio Briatore has returned as a Formula 1 Team Principal after Alpine chief Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role. Briatore will take on his duties in addition to continuing as the team's Executive Advisor.
Oakes' resignation comes swiftly following Jack Doohan being axed after just six races in an Alpine seat. The 22-year-old has failed to win a point this season and is set to be replaced by Franco Colapinto for the rest of 2025.
Following the Miami Grand Prix, Oakes did not conduct his post-race media duties with official reasoning said to be 'due to a change in travel plans'. Oakes was named team principal last July, succeeding Bruno Famin and was Alpine’s fourth team boss in less than four years.
The sudden departure of Oakes sees Briatore return to the frontline of F1. The Italian businessman led the Enstone outfit for 19 years having joined the team in 1990 when it was branded as Benetton.
Briatore left Renault in disgrace in 2009 having been implicated in the infamous Nelson Piquet Jr 'Crashgate' scandal. After being banned from all FIA events, his sanction was later overturned on appeal in French courts.
Fernando Alonso's manager had not been directly involved with an F1 team since that moment but was courted for an advisory role in Renault's Alpine project. And his influence is set to grow as he adds Oakes' responsibilitis to his own.
"Alpine Formula One Team announces that Oliver Oakes has resigned from his role as Team Principal The team has accepted his resignation with immediate effect," said Alpine in a statement.
"As of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as Executive Advisor and will also be covering the duties previously performed by Oliver Oakes. The team would like to thank Oliver for his efforts since he joined last summer and for his contribution in helping the team secure sixth place in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship.
"The team will not be making any further comment"
It has proven a difficult season for Alpine, and they sit ninth in the constructors' championship. They are just one point clear of bottom-placed team Sauber.
The six points scored by Pierre Gasly after finishing seventh in Bahrain were the only ones they had managed until the Frenchman another point after inheriting eighth place in the Miami sprint race, following time penalties for three drivers.
Alpine's next opportunity to turn around their fortunes will come at Imola in just under two weeks. Colapinto appears set to have Alpine's hopes placed in him after Doohan was involved in a succession of crashes, with the latest coming in Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
A crash with Liam Lawson saw Doohan's front left tyre come off its rim and the young racer was forced to retire from the race. Colapinto's presence had been looming over Doohan all season, after the Argentine driver was signed as Alpine's reserve driver.
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