Oliver Oakes has resigned from his position as Alpine team principal, an announcement made just days after his brother was taken into custody and charged.
His brother, William Oakes, faced a charge of `transferring criminal property`. This followed his arrest on May 1 in Silverstone Park, where he was found to be in `possession of a large amount of cash`.
The 31-year-old, who resides in Rugby, Warwickshire, was remanded in custody after appearing before Northampton Magistrates` Court on May 3.
A statement released by the Metropolitan Police detailed the events: “William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2, after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in possession of a large amount of cash.” The statement added, “He appeared before Northampton Magistrates` Court on Saturday, May 3, and was remanded in custody.”
William Oakes is a director at Hitech Grand Prix, the British-based junior racing team that was founded by his brother, Oliver Oakes, in 2015.
Oliver Oakes, a former racing driver himself and winner of the 2005 karting world title, is not implicated in William Oakes` arrest and faces no accusations of wrongdoing. He remains a director at Hitech GP.
Oliver Oakes successfully developed Hitech GP into a significant presence in single-seater racing series, including Formula 2 and Formula 3. He then took on the role of Alpine team principal in August 2024, succeeding Otmar Szafnauer, which made him the youngest team boss on the F1 grid at the time.
During his tenure, the 37-year-old oversaw a notable double podium finish for drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil. However, his departure comes as rookie driver Jack Doohan was replaced by Franco Colapinto after competing in only six races.
Hitech GP has been approached for comment regarding the situation, while Alpine F1 has declined to provide a comment.
Formula 1`s European season is set to commence with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on May 16-18.
