Alpine is gearing up for significant changes within its Formula 1 team, as Oliver Oakes, currently in charge of Hitech’s F2 and F3 operations, is expected to take on the role of team principal.
The French manufacturer is undergoing extensive transformations driven by new F1 advisor Flavio Briatore, leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to reclaim its competitive position.
Watch: F1 Belgian Grand Prix – News from Spa’s Paddock
Just days after news broke that a transition to Mercedes customer engines from 2026 is practically finalized (and might even occur in 2025), a shift in management appears to be imminent as well.
Insiders have noted that current team principal Bruno Famin, who has been managing the team since taking over from Otmar Szafnauer at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, is anticipated to step down soon.
Famin, who joined Alpine from the company’s Viry-Chatillon engine plant, informed staff this week that a review is underway to determine the future of that facility should the F1 project be discontinued.
Initially, Famin accepted the team principal role on a temporary basis and never intended to remain long-term. However, the absence of clear alternatives led him to continue.
With Briatore now advocating for a solid long-term plan, it appears that this summer break could be an optimal time for a leadership transition.
Bruno Famin, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team, Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor, Alpine F1 and Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1 Team
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Sources close to the situation suggest that Oakes is the leading candidate for the position, having established himself as a successful team principal with Hitech’s F3 and F2 outfits.
A former world karting champion, Oakes competed in junior categories before founding his own karting team in 2011 and later expanding into single-seater racing with Hitech in 2015.
Hitech is active in F3, F2, GB3, British F4, and the Formula 4 UAE series. In 2023, it also expressed interest in entering F1 as part of the new team tender process, although its application did not reach the final stages.
While Alpine has refrained from commenting on these developments, Famin is scheduled to make a statement during an official FIA press conference at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday.
