Alpine’s new team principal will have his first Formula 1 race in the role in the upcoming weeks when the Dutch Grand Prix takes place.
The 36-year-old former racer established Hitech Grand Prix in 2015, a team that has been competing in the F1 junior series ladder.
After Bruno Famin decided to step down as Alpine team principal, Oliver Oakes was appointed as his successor and will officially start after the summer break.
The day following Oakes’ appointment, it was announced that Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley would leave his position at the end of 2024 to become the team principal at Audi.
Wheatley will report directly to Mattia Binotto, who has taken on the roles of chief operating officer and chief technical officer at Audi after serving as the Ferrari F1 team boss.
While Binotto is likely to handle the political aspects of F1, allowing Wheatley to focus on his duties as team principal, Oakes will be responsible for these challenges on his own.
According to Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz, Oakes is part of the group of ambitious former drivers turned team bosses.
“As a team boss, he will understand what motivates drivers, having been one himself,” Kravitz commented on Sky Sports F1’s recent podcast.
“Oakes will need to navigate the political landscape without someone directly above him handling that aspect, unlike Wheatley who has Binotto overseeing the political side at Audi” Kravitz added.
“We’ll have to see how Wheatley, with more Formula 1 experience, approaches his new role compared to Oakes, who may have more familiarity with being a race team principal,” Kravitz concluded.
