ALPINE SHAKES UP LEADERSHIP IN A BID FOR A COMEBACK!
After a turbulent few months of changes, Alpine is undergoing a major transformation in a bid to claw its way back to the front of the Formula 1 grid. Under the guidance of Renault CEO Luca de Meo, the struggling team has brought back a familiar face in the sport—Flavio Briatore, the once-dominant team boss who led the Enstone-based outfit to championship glory during its Renault days. Now, Briatore has been brought in to work alongside new Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, as the French team embarks on a journey of revival.
The shakeup has already seen significant shifts, including Bruno Famin’s departure and the end of Renault’s power unit operations, with Alpine set to become a customer team, potentially partnering with Mercedes for engines in the near future.
OAKES AND BRIATORE: A DYNAMIC DUO?
Speaking to F1’s official website, Oakes shared his thoughts on working with the veteran Briatore, highlighting the value of his experience despite the modern complexities of F1. “It’s great working with him, having him to bounce ideas off,” Oakes said. “F1 has changed, but the basics are the same. He’s good at reminding me of that. Being somewhere new, you could go too far in the other direction, so his perspective is helpful.”
Oakes also emphasized how personally invested Briatore is in Alpine’s success. “He’s emotionally invested in Enstone. It’s his baby, and he genuinely wants to see the place get its mojo back,” Oakes added.
FROM JUNIOR CATEGORIES TO F1: OAKES ON THE CHALLENGE AHEAD
As one of the youngest team principals in F1—second only to Christian Horner of Red Bull—Oakes brings a unique blend of experience from his time in junior categories, where he ran his own Hitech team in Formula 2 and Formula 3. He acknowledged the differences between running a junior team and leading an F1 outfit, noting that the scale and complexity of F1 operations add new layers to the challenge.
“It’s about people and bringing performance,” Oakes explained. “In F1, the lead times on making improvements and enacting change are much longer than in junior categories. You’re working on components for next year that take time to come together, so there’s a lot more patience required.”
However, Oakes remains optimistic. “Some things are the same—weekends where you struggle with something like tire management, and the next weekend you’ve done a load of work at the factory to improve. It’s a mix of familiar challenges and much bigger, long-term goals,” he said.
ALPINE’S PATH FORWARD: STABILITY AND STRATEGY
Oakes recognizes that one of the team’s major weaknesses has been a lack of stability, something he and Briatore are keen to address. “What’s different today is that we now have 1,000 people, and the challenge is you can’t make all of them happy all the time. But the team now has stability,” Oakes stated.
He stressed the importance of aligning leadership and setting a clear vision for the future. “We’re trying to set out a journey back to success over the next couple of years. Everything is results-based. If we bring performance and deliver results, the team’s morale will naturally lift.”
Oakes is already seeing some positive signs from the changes. “There’s a lot of affection for what Enstone is. The crux is people want to work in an organization that’s performing, and we’re building towards that.”
A NEW ERA BEGINS
With Oakes now leading the team and Briatore back in the fold, Alpine is hoping to turn the tide after a difficult period. The team’s restructured leadership, combined with a potential powertrain partnership with Mercedes, signals that Alpine is serious about its return to competitiveness.
The path to success won’t be easy, but with Oakes’ fresh perspective and Briatore’s experience, Alpine is aiming to reignite the spark that once made them champions. Will this dynamic duo bring the team back to its glory days? Only time will tell.
