As expected, Alpine has announced that Oliver Oakes will take over the baton of team principal of the F1 outfit from Bruno Famin.
Oakes will assume his responsibilities at the end of Formula 1’s summer break and will report directly to Renault Group chief executive officer Luca de Meo.
It came to light ahead of last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix that Oakes was the favourite to take over Famin’s team boss role which the Frenchman has held since Alpine’s dramatic management shake-up a year ago.
Oakes is the founder of Hitech Grand Prix, a team that has been at the forefront of junior single-seater competition on both the world and national stages for nearly a decade.
A former racing driver in his own right who won the world karting championship in 2005, the 36-year-old Briton has established a winning culture at Hitech Grand Prix.
Under his leadership, the team has achieved race victories in every championship it competes in and has played a significant role in advancing the careers of some of today’s most prominent drivers.
“I am extremely grateful to Luca de Meo and Flavio Briatore for this opportunity to lead BWT Alpine F1 Team back to competitiveness,” commented Oakes.
“The team has talented people and excellent resources at its core, and I am confident that we can accomplish a great deal together during the remainder of this season and the longer term. I look forward to getting started after the summer break.”
“It is a pleasure to welcome Oli to the team and for him to become one of the youngest Team Principals that this sport has ever seen,” commented Luca de Meo.
“This team is being built for future success and this is highlighted by Oli’s appointment in a senior role. We look forward to harnessing his enthusiasm, energy and passion for racing and realising that mindset across the entire team.”
Briatore highlighted how Oakes appointment was a strategic choice by Alpine to invest in new young leadership.
“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Oli Oakes for our Formula 1 project,” said the Italian.
“Oli is highly talented with a great record of leadership and success in racing. His move into this role is a great example of the strength and belief we have in our team and by young, upcoming people, and I’m excited to work closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”
De Meo added: “It is a pleasure to welcome Oli to the team and for him to become one of the youngest team principals that this sport has ever seen.
“This team is being built for future success and this is highlighted by Oli’s appointment in a senior role. We look forward to harnessing his enthusiasm, energy and passion for racing and realising that mindset across the entire team.”
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