Flavio Briatore Slams Alpine’s ‘Wrong Managers’ as He Instills New Leadership with Oliver Oakes

Flavio Briatore slams the "extensive roster" of "ineffective managers" at Alpine

"Running a team like Alpine from Paris is extremely challenging," he says.

Flavio Briatore claims that Alpine lacked any form of management.

The F1 team from Enstone has experienced significant changes in their top leadership.

In the previous year, Alpine experienced the departure of several key figures, including CEO Laurent Rossi, team principal Otmar Szafnauer, sporting director Alan Permane, chief technical officer Pat Fry, technical director Matt Harman, head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer, and director of racing expansion projects Davide Brivio.

Veteran F1 figure Briatore has recently joined Alpine as their executive advisor and quickly substituted team principal Bruno Famin with Oliver Oakes.

"The issue with Alpine, in my opinion, was the lack of proper management," stated the unconventional Italian, Briatore.

"There was a period when they selected several unsuitable managers. The number of poor choices was rather extensive. We don't have a record of the successful ones."

“It’s challenging to oversee Enstone. It’s a large, complex organization.”

"You have to be present. Managing a team like Alpine from Paris is extremely challenging. Daily involvement is essential."

Why Briatore Selected Oakes

Briatore decided to appoint Oakes as the new team principal for Alpine, taking over the position from Famin, who had been in the role for a year.

Oakes, who used to be a race car driver and established Hitech Grand Prix, has announced that he has achieved a significant milestone in Formula 1.

Briatore mentioned that he realized there came a time when it was necessary to replace the team principal.

"I aimed to move faster for the team's benefit. I spoke with two individuals."

A discussion about Oli was taking place. We had several lengthy meetings, around three or four, to determine if collaborating would be a viable option.

In this scenario, it's essential to have individuals around you who share your level of ambition. He’s quite young, actually. He stands out as one of the youngest team principals in the history of Formula 1.

"I also considered the overall vibe. After speaking with several individuals—three or four possible candidates for team principal—I felt certain that Oli was the best fit to collaborate closely with me and the entire team."

Briatore said that Oli brought energy and eagerness to the team. He is youthful, driven, and has a strong desire to succeed. He is exactly the kind of person they need.

"Revamping this team requires young talent, individuals with strong character, patience for the work, and the ability to discern the good from the bad. It demands people who grasp the dynamics of the race and comprehend the operations within the factory."

"This is the main idea. I think Oli lacks experience with a major team like ours, but he possesses the talent needed to succeed."

As they head into this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, Alpine holds the eighth position in the constructors' championship standings.

They faced a tough beginning to the year that reached its lowest point when their drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, crashed into each other in Monaco.

It was quickly revealed that Ocon would leave Alpine in 2025, and he has since joined Haas.

Alpine has decided to elevate Jack Doohan to Esteban Ocon's racing position for the upcoming season, giving their reserve driver a chance instead.

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