Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore has confirmed that the Formula 1 team is conducting its search for a new Team Principal after the resignation of Oliver Oakes earlier this month.
Briatore, who joined the Enstone-based squad in his advisory role last year, stepped into the breach of team boss on an interim basis, after Oakes resigned immediately after the Miami Grand Prix
The 37-year-old quit amid the arrest of his brother William, a fellow director of the Hitech team, which Oakes heads-up.
Briatore’s return to the role saw him reassume the same position he held at Enstone, back in its previous guises as both Benetton and Renault.
Speaking to media including Motorsport Week ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Briatore said that the team was on the lookout for a new boss.
“We are looking forward. For the moment nothing has changed,” he said. “I feel sorry for Oli because I have a very good relationship with Oli. He was a good Team Principal.
“You know, like everybody knows, for personal reasons he stopped and resigned from Alpine. We are looking. We don’t want to make any mistakes. I prefer to take some time.
“But in the moment we decide what will be the new team manager. Put it this way and we tell you.”
Briatore ‘knows a few people’ keen on Alpine role
Alpine is in its fifth season in F1, and in that short time, it has seen a revolving door with team bosses coming and going.
Its first year saw no official Team Principal, but MotoGP stalwart Davide Brivio and former McLaren and Ferrari engineer Marcin Budkowski both led key director roles.
Brivio was subsequently moved to its young driver programme, with Budkowski resigning in January 2022. Longstanding F1 figure Otmar Szafnauer was named as Team Principal shortly afterwards.
Szafnauer was then replaced mid-2023 by Bruno Famin, who lasted a year and four days, with Oakes then stepping into the role.
The merry-go-round of bosses has caused some instability within the team, and Briatore intimated that he is not only looking forensically for the right person, but that he is aware that a number of unnamed people are interested.
“We are looking for somebody. There are a lot of people doing this kind of job,” he said. “We are looking for somebody good. Somebody who understands. Somebody who is part of the team.
“I know a few people who want to be part of this new trip with Alpine. And we decide quick.”
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