Oliver Oakes resigns from Alpine, Flavio Briatore clarifies: “Personal decision, not a disagreement”. Oakes resigns as Alpine team principal, with Briatore clarifying that the decision.

Oliver Oakes’ resignation as Alpine’s team principal is not due to a disagreement with Flavio Briatore over the Colapinto-Doohan switch: both the manager and the British team principal have denied this interpretation.

Alpine, Another Shake-up

Alpine has been making headlines in recent hours, announcing two major changes. One concerns the track, with Franco Colapinto set to replace Jack Doohan for at least the next five race weekends, while the other concerns the pit wall. Oliver Oakes will no longer be part of the team, as he unexpectedly resigned last night from his role as team principal.

Considering that the Franco Colapinto – Jack Doohan change was always a matter of “when,” not “if,” Oakes’ timing for his resignation raised suspicions, and it was logical to assume that his decision was due to disagreements regarding the management of the second driver, with Alpine’s senior advisor Flavio Briatore. However, the Piedmontese manager, who will now also take on the tasks previously handled by Oakes, has just denied this interpretation, emphasizing that Oakes’ decision was based on personal reasons.

Flavio Briatore’s Words

“A lot has been said in the last 24 hours, and Oliver’s decision to resign was wrongly linked to a supposed disagreement or the fact that we had different views. This is completely false and far from the truth,” said Flavio Briatore. “Oliver and I have a great relationship, and we had long-term ambitions to grow this team together. We respect his request to resign, and we have accepted it. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature. I will continue to be more involved with the team, along with the strong leadership we already have. We will work hard to improve our position this season and to prepare for 2026.”

Oliver Oakes also shared some words regarding his decision announced yesterday: “It’s been a privilege to lead everyone at Enstone. What a team, what a place. My resignation is a personal decision. Flavio has been like a father to me; he has supported me since I took on this role, and he himself gave me this opportunity. Everyone is in their place for 2026. I believe in Enstone.”