Alpine’s Team Changes: A Deep Dive into Oakes’ Departure and Colapinto’s Promotion

The past 24 hours have seen two significant developments in the world of Alpine racing. The anticipated promotion of Franco Colapinto to the racing line-up, replacing Jack Doohan, was expected; however, the unexpected departure of Oliver Oakes has left many questioning the team’s direction.

The Foreseen and Unforeseen Moves: Colapinto’s Promotion and Oakes’ Departure

The promotion of Franco Colapinto was a move predicted not just in recent days, but even before the start of this season. His signing was seen as putting pressure on Doohan to perform. On the other hand, the departure of Oliver Oakes was not anticipated; over the weekend, he had been tasked with quelling rumors about Colapinto replacing Doohan temporarily. Now, both have left their roles.

Was this a coincidence? It seems unlikely. In the wake of Oakes’ resignation, it was widely believed that he wanted to give Doohan a chance to secure his first points in Formula 1, while Briatore pushed for Colapinto. After all, Briatore had secured deals with Argentine sponsors that had generated significant interest in the country’s first F1 driver since Gaston Mazzacane when Colapinto drove for Williams last year.

The Power Struggle: Briatore vs Oakes – Clarifying the Dynamic

The dynamic between Briatore and Oakes has become clearer (if it wasn’t before): Briatore called the shots, while Oakes had the unenviable task of justifying his decisions. However, Briatore denies this was the case. In a statement released on Instagram, he stated that the idea of a disagreement between him and Oakes was “completely false and far from the truth.

If we take his statement at face value, Oakes resigned due to personal reasons. But the timing of Colapinto’s switch and Oakes’ resignation is hard to ignore. Perhaps Oakes felt he couldn’t realistically carry out the vision he had for the team, or perhaps he felt the risk of being drawn into the F1 magnetar wasn’t worth it.

The Continuing Saga: Alpine’s Instability and the Search for a New Team Principal

Since Renault repurchased an Enstone team that was on the brink, anything resembling continuity has been elusive at best. Fred Vasseur, Cyril Abiteboul, Marcin Budkowski, Otmar Szafnauer, Bruno Famin, and now Oakes have all held the position of team principal, each lasting an average of around 390 days.

It remains unclear if Briatore’s assumption of the team management mantle is temporary. If it is, he must find a successor who aligns with his vision and can halt the cycle of hire, fire, and perspire. Internal candidates like Dave Greenwood and Ciaran Pilbeam are experienced and could be logical successors, or an external candidate with a desire to step up into a team principal role might be the way forward.

Alpine’s Future: Defining Its Identity and Securing a Visionary Leader

As of 2026, Alpine will no longer be a manufacturer team; instead, it will be a Mercedes customer team owned by Groupe Renault. The question remains: what does stand for? Will it remain as a promotional entity for Cars or strive to be more than just another customer team on the grid? A majority stake sale to a visionary leader could provide clarity and direction.

Alternatively, Alpine may continue its peculiar way – staff coming and going, operating in the midfield pack, and drivers spending a maximum of two or three years there before moving to less volatile climes on the grid. However, if it wants to be anything else, has a steep climb ahead.