In a shocking turn of events near Silverstone, William Oakes, brother of former Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes, has been arrested while both were working at Hitech Grand Prix. The arrest comes just days after Oliver’s unexpected resignation, raising questions about possible connections between the two incidents.
According to reports, William Oakes, 31 years old, was taken into custody on Thursday, May 1st, near Silverstone Park, the base of HitechGP. He stands accused of involvement in the illegal transfer of assets and was found in possession of a significant amount of cash at the time of his arrest.
The unfolding drama surrounding the Oakes brothers has cast a shadow over the Hitech GP team, a British racing outfit that has seen changes in ownership over the years. Founded in 2002 by Dennis Rushen and David Hayle, the team was revitalized in 2015 by Oliver Oakes before being sold off to Dmitry Mazepin in 2020. Mazepin, a Russian oligarch with close ties to Vladimir Putin, faced international sanctions in 2022 amidst the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, prompting the transfer of Hitech GP back to Oliver Oakes.
The ownership transition, occurring just days after Mazepin’s sanctions, raised eyebrows in political circles, with Labour MP Liam Byrne noting the suspicious nature of the transfer of shares from Mazepin to Oakes without financial exchange. Currently, the Hitech GP board consists of Oliver and William Oakes as the only directors, further entwining their personal and professional lives in the midst of legal and political turmoil.
As the details of the arrest continue to unfold, the motorsport world is left reeling from this latest scandal involving the Oakes brothers and their entanglement in the high-stakes world of Formula racing.