Pierre Gasly “sad” to see “straightforward” and “transparent” Oliver Oakes leave Alpine

Alpine Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly said he is saddened by the sudden departure of team principal Oliver Oakes, whom he praised for his “straightforward” and “transparent” approach.

Alpine’s management structure has gone through another change after Oakes resigned from the team just days after the Miami GP last week.  

Personal reasons were cited for his abrupt exit, with reports later emerging that his brother - who is a director in the Hitech F2/F3 squad they run together - has been arrested by the police in the UK.

No replacement for Oakes has been named by Alpine, with executive director Flavio Briatore taking on his role for the foreseeable future.

The timing of his exit is a potential cause of concern, with the Renault brand enduring a difficult start to the season and accruing just seven points in the opening six flyaway races.

Oakes was also due to oversee Alpine’s transition to a customer engine team next year as well as the development of its 2026-spec challenger to new regulations.

Gasly, who has become an integral part of Alpine since he joined the squad in 2023, admitted that Oakes’ exit isn’t ideal for the squad, but added the change will not distract the team from achieving its long-term goals.
 
“Obviously, it's sad to see Ollie leaving - it was his first personal decision,” the Frenchman told F1.com.

“I think I got on really well [with him]. We worked extremely well and closely since he joined last summer.

“We had a very strong end of the year. Things were very straightforward with him, very transparent. I like this sort of mindset he brought to the team.

“[It is] sad to see him leave. We got to respect his decision and accept it. Flavio is going to take more duties.

“It doesn't change the direction or the ambition. Everything remains business as usual. Just move on with it.”

There was another major change at Alpine in the build-up to this weekend’s Emilia Romagna GP, with Jack Doohan stepping down from his race seat to make way for Franco Colapinto.

The Argentine, who has limited F1 experience with Williams from last year, will be in the cockpit for the next five races, starting with this weekend's Emilia Romagna GP.

Gasly said he “wanted” Doohan to do well in his rookie season, but is excited to see how Colapinto fares on his promotion to a race seat from Imola.

“I know them both,” he said. “Obviously, I get on very well with Jack and Franco.

“For all the months I have worked with Jack, I've tried to support him as much as possible. He is a great guy, I like him and he has got great speed.

“It wasn't the easiest way into F1 and that's why I tried with my past experience to bring as much as I could because I wanted him and needed him to do well.

“Franco is also a very good driver, that is the reason we got him in the team in the first place. It would be interesting to see what he does. He was very competitive with Williams.

“We worked well with Jack, I'm sure we are going to work well with Franco. Obviously, Jack is still part of the team, still working for us. I will have to stay strong.”