Alpine Team Director William Oakes Faces Criminal Charges

In a shocking turn of events, William Oakes, the director at Hitech Grand Prix and brother of former Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes, was arrested last week and charged with transferring criminal property. The 37-year-old was apprehended on Thursday, May 2, in the Silverstone Park area of Northamptonshire, UK, according to reports by The Telegraph.

Metropolitan Police Charges Against William Oakes

The Metropolitan Police have charged William Oakes with transferring criminal property. A spokesperson for the police confirmed that he was stopped in possession of a substantial amount of cash at the time of his arrest. After his apprehension, Oakes appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, May 3, and was remanded in custody.

It’s important to note that these charges do not involve any motorsports-related activities or topics. William Oakes’ racing credentials stem from his ownership of the Hitech Grand Prix F2 team.

Background of William Oakes and Hitech Grand Prix

William Oakes assumed the director role at Hitech Grand Prix in 2022, following the formation of a new company that acquired a controlling stake in the side from Dmitry Mazepin, the father of ex-F1 racer Nikita Mazepin. This takeover occurred just three days after Dmitry Mazepin was sanctioned by the UK government due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Alpine has not issued any comments regarding William Oakes’ arrest, as it does not pertain to their Formula 1 team. However, less than a week after his brother’s arrest, Oliver Oakes resigned as team principal of the Formula 1 team. Flavio Briatore, executive director at the team, attempted to dispel rumors of a rift at the French side in a joint Instagram post with .

Misinformation has been circulating over the past 24 hours, incorrectly associating Oli’s resignation with an alleged disagreement or differing views,” Briatore said in the post. “This is entirely false and far from the truth. Me and Oli have a strong relationship and shared long-term ambitions to advance this team together. We respect Oli’s decision to resign and have accepted it. The reasons are personal, not related to the team.