Since the summer of 2024, Oliver Oakes has taken the helm as team boss of Alpine. At the age of 36, the British national took over the leadership of the French team from Bruno Famin. Oakes hails from Formula 2, where he was in charge of the Hitech GP team.
With his appointment as team boss of Alpine, Oliver Oakes has fulfilled a dream: reaching Formula 1. He also has a racing background, becoming the world karting champion in 2005. Red Bull offered him a spot in their training program. However, his own career path leading to F1 quickly proved unattainable, prompting Oakes to shift towards the organizational side of the sport.
Hitech GP: A Prominent Player in Formula 1 Training
Oakes’ managerial skills are not surprising, given his lineage: his father, Bob Oakes, owned teams in Formula Renault and Formula 3 under the name Eurotek Racing. It turns out that the younger Oakes also has a knack for team management. He started a karting team in his early twenties, and later founded Hitech GP, a prominent player in the training classes for Formula 1. The British racing team was established in 2015. With Oakes at the helm, Hitech won the title in Formula 3 in 2020. One notable Formula 1 driver who has emerged from similar pathways is Esteban Ocon, demonstrating the importance of these training grounds.
Oliver Oakes: A Man of Ambition in the World of Motorsport
Oliver Oakes is known both within and outside of motorsport as an ambitious man, decisive and always thinking in terms of possibilities. It’s no surprise that Hitech GP was long in the running to become the eleventh team to join Formula 1. However, the FIA put a stop to it, as the application did not pass the selection committee. But this situation underscored the ambition and confidence at Hitech GP.
Overcoming Obstacles with Optimism
If it can’t be done with his team, then Oakes must have thought to do it without. It’s commendable that he finds it difficult to leave Hitech behind in Formula 2, but his own enthusiasm is not lacking. This is evident even in the face of Alpine’s disappointing performance in 2024. Oakes joined mid-season, which is never easy. He quickly tried to elevate the performance (and the atmosphere) with positivity, working alongside drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
Challenges and Expectations
Oakes found it challenging to make his mark on the sporting performance, as Alpine’s lag behind many other teams was significant and the results remained inconsistent. However, he expects things to improve in 2025.
