Oliver Oakes praises Flavio Briatore’s role and influence at Alpine: “A father figure and a friend”. Oliver Oakes praises Flavio Briatore as a father figure and valuable ally in Alpine's F1 journey.

In F1 for less than a year
Oliver Oakes’ experience in Formula 1, as well as in the role of Team Principal, began less than a year ago, when the Briton joined Alpine last August during a very difficult time for the Enstone team. Since then, beyond the double podium in Brazil in 2024 and the team’s first points finish of the current season in Bahrain, Oakes hasn’t just focused on increasing the team’s competitiveness, but has also represented it on a political level.

Regulations for 2026 and V10 engines
Recently, Oliver Oakes has been involved in the latest discussions regarding the technical regulation changes scheduled for 2026, as well as the possible return of V10 engines. The latter is a topic that will be revisited later: “It’s a topic and a discussion worth having,” he told RacingNews365. “When you look at an F1 car today—how big it is, how heavy it is, how complex its electrical systems are—is it really necessary? Is it really what fans want? Is it what makes for a good race? How much of this exciting technology is actually transferable to road cars? I think it’s a great discussion to have for the next set of regulations. In some ways it’s quite amusing to be having such a discussion when we still need to finalize certain things.”

The politics of F1
Oakes is also coming to understand the political side of F1, with teams pushing for specific regulatory changes to gain a competitive edge: “It’s interesting to see the different personalities that are able to push these discussions while thinking about their own team’s interests, not necessarily what’s truly right for the sport,” he added. “That’s also the beauty of F1. It’s not just about racing, but also about politics and the strategic choice of ensuring you fight for your team’s interests.”

Flavio Briatore
Even before Oliver Oakes’ arrival at Alpine, Flavio Briatore had returned to Formula 1 last May as executive advisor for the Enstone outfit. A figure who, for Oliver Oakes, represents an asset to the Team Principal: “From my personal point of view, I have Flavio here. He’s here to help me with this,” he concluded. “I consider him something of a father figure at the track, or a friend. We spend a lot of time together. On my part, I really appreciate having him on the team. First of all, he’s fun, because he knows how to have great conversations. On the other hand, he’s also very good at handling difficult moments. We both agree that the most important thing is that we’re here to race. He’s already done it in F1, winning championships. Having someone who cares about this as if it were his own philosophy—which has always been mine as well—brings a certain sense of confidence to the team.”