Flavio Briatore has denied that Oliver Oakes shock resignation from Alpine had anything to do with the decision to drop Jack Doohan.
The Italian, who remains Executive Advisor but will now l also be covering the duties previously performed by Oakes, took to social media to shed further light on the Briton’s unexpected departure.
“A lot has been said in the past 24 hours incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement or that we shared different views,” he posted on Instagram. “This is completely false and far from the truth.
“Me and Oli have a very good relationship,” he continued, “and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together.
“We respect Oli’s request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation,” he added. “The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.
“I will continue to be more and more involved with the team, together with the strong management we already have in place. We will work hard on improving our position this season and preparing for 2026.”
Briatore’s post includes a quote from Oakes, which reads: “It is a personal decision for me to step down.
“Flavio has been like a father to me, nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity.
“Everyone is in place for 2026 and where this team deserves to be.”
Going into conspiracy theory mode, one has wonder whether Oakes’ decision was about the potential sale of the team.
Hitech was one of the teams that officially registered its desire to enter the world championship in 2026, however its bid proved unsuccessful.
When Oakes subsequently joined Alpine there was speculation that he might be seeking to buy the team even if Renault and Briatore have consistently insisted that it is not for sale.
Could it be that Oakes has now learned of a prospective purchaser and is either unhappy with who this might be or simply miffed that he missed out.
All conjecture of course, but something strange is going on and we have been convinced for some time that the French outfit is available… for the right price.
