Former BWT Alpine F1 Team Principal Oliver Oakes’s sudden departure from the team raised many questions and kick-started the F1 rumour mill following the official announcement on Tuesday. The Telegraph has since released that Oakes’ brother William Oakes had been arrested on May 2, explaining Oliver Oakes’s resignation.
William Oakes, director of Hitech Grand Prix, arrested near Silverstone Park last Friday
While Oliver Oakes was stateside for the Miami GP, his younger brother William was arrested by British police in Northamptonshire. He was charged for “transferring criminal property” on May 2 after being stopped on May 1 in possession of “a large amount of cash” according to police. William Oakes appeared before the Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 3, and remanded in custody.
Oliver Oakes refused to comment when approached by The Telegraph at the Miami GP last weekend.
Hitech Grand Prix previous ownership controversy
Hitech Grand Prix holds a significant position in many junior Formula series including F2, F3, F1 Academy, GB3, and F4. Some big up-and-comers race for Hitech including Williams Racing Academy Driver Luke Browning, and Ferrari Driver Academy Driver Dino Beganovic.
Hitech Grand Prix’s previous owner before William Oakes was none other than Russian Oligarch Dmitry Mazepin. Oakes took over from Mazepin nine days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
Dmitry Mazepin is closely tied to Vladimir Putin, the current Russian president. Mazepin even attended a close meeting with Putin hours before the invasion.
A new company was formed – Hitech Global Holdings Ltd – to make this transition of the shares, which caught the attention of both the UK government and the European Union. UK Labour MP noted that these shares had been “relinquished,” not bought.
An especially chaotic time for the Alpine F1 Team
Just one day after the departure announcement of Oliver Oakes, Alpine finally confirmed the heavily-rumoured Doohan-Colapinto swap on Wednesday. Argentinian Alpine Reserve Driver, Franco Colapinto, has been promoted to race alongside Pierre Gasly for the next five Grand Prix.
The timing of the two announcements revitalized the F1 rumour mill. Many assumed that Oakes’s leaving was caused by a falling out between him and the current Interim Team Principal, Flavio Briatore, despite the team statement Alpine sent out asserting it was a personal decision.
“It is a personal decision for me to step down. Flavio has been like a father to me, nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity.”
Before the news of William Oakes’s arrest was released, Briatore vaguely cleared up the situation, attempting to dispel these rumours of a rift between him and Oliver Oakes.
“A lot has been said in the past 24-hours incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views. This is completely false and far from the truth”
The BWT Alpine F1 Team has had a turbulent past couple of seasons, employing five different team principals since 2020. Oakes only held the position starting last summer, taking over from Bruno Famin.
With Flavio Briatore at the helm of the team and Colapinto being given five races to prove himself, Alpine’s 2025 season from now on looks uncertain.
