Oliver Oakes has stepped down as the Alpine team principal just days after his brother was taken into custody.
His brother, William Oakes, faced a charge of `transferring criminal property`. This followed his apprehension at Silverstone Park on May 1st, where he was found in possession of a significant amount of cash.
The 31-year-old, residing in Rugby, Warwickshire, was held in custody subsequent to his appearance at Northampton Magistrates` Court on May 3rd.
A statement released by the Metropolitan Police corroborated these details: “William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2nd after being stopped in the Silverstone Park area of Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1st, in possession of a large amount of cash. He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, May 3rd, and was remanded in custody.”
William Oakes holds a director position at Hitech Grand Prix, the UK-based junior racing team established by his brother, Oliver Oakes, in 2015.
Oliver Oakes, who is not implicated in his brother`s arrest and faces no accusations of wrongdoing, is a former racing driver himself, having won the karting world title in 2005. He continues to serve as a director for Hitech GP.
Oliver successfully developed Hitech into a prominent force in single-seater championships like Formula 2 and Formula 3. He then took over from Otmar Szafnauer as Alpine team principal in August 2024, becoming the youngest boss on the Formula 1 grid.
While he oversaw a remarkable double podium finish for Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil, his abrupt departure coincided with rookie driver Jack Doohan being replaced by Franco Colapinto after just six races under his leadership.
*Sky Sports News* sought comments from Hitech GP, but Alpine F1 declined to provide one.
The European leg of the F1 season commences with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from May 16-18.
