Oliver Oakes, who became Alpine’s Team Principal in July this year, has motorsport running in his veins. A handy ex-racing driver, the heartbreak of never making it to F1 drove Oakes to try his hand at race management, ultimately putting him in charge of the Enstone-based squad.
As Oakes revealed on the Beyond the Grid podcast, fate ended his racing career. He was in his 20s when he left that part of his life behind, and from 2010 onwards, he started taking up various management jobs in motorsports.
“I think I was in denial for a few years if I’m being really honest,” he told host Tom Clarkson. “I probably ignored that fact and channeled it towards working with some young drivers in karting [and] doing some coaching,” he added.
Welcome, Oli
We’re delighted to announce Oliver Oakes as our new Team Principal.
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) July 31, 2024
Oakes’ junior career was promising. In 2005, he won the World Karting Championship which caught the attention of the Red Bull junior program. Had he signed up, he could have been in the same class as future F1 stars such as Sebastian Vettel, Sebastian Buemi, and Brendon Hartley. Instead, his career faded away.
However, Oakes’ passion for the sport couldn’t keep him away from the racetrack for long. While working with drivers, he occasionally participated in test sessions to stay connected to the action. That said, his true talents emerged when he took on the responsibility of leading teams on a full-time basis.
Oakes’ path to Alpine
In 2011, Oakes formed his own karting team, a venture through which he was able to work with some of the brightest stars in motorsports. For instance, he played a key role in kickstarting the careers of drivers such as George Russell and Callum Illott.
From there, he progressed into the managerial sphere of single-seater racing. Oakes joined hands with David Hayle, with whom they formed Hitech GP — a big name in the junior Formulas today.
The 36-year-old boasts extensive experience managing teams across nearly every single-seater formula worldwide, including Formula 3, Formula 2, and the now-defunct W Series. Earlier this year, his impressive track record earned him arguably the biggest opportunity of his career—the role of team principal in Formula 1 with Alpine.
With this appointment, he became the second-youngest team principal in F1 history, with Christian Horner holding the record at age 32. However, on the current grid, Oakes stands as the youngest team principal in charge.
