Alpine’s new group principal will face his first Formulation 1 race within the job within the subsequent few weeks when racing resumes on the Dutch Grand Prix.
The 36-year-old former racer based Hitech Grand Prix in 2015, which has been competing on the F1 junior collection ladder.
Following Bruno Famin’s resolution to step down from the function as Alpine group principal, Oakes was appointed as his alternative and can start correctly after the summer season break.
The day after the Oakes announcement, it was confirmed that Pink Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley would step down from his function on the reigning world champion squad on the finish of 2024 to turn out to be group principal at Audi.
Wheatley will work straight underneath Mattia Binotto, the ex-Ferrari F1 group boss who has been put in as chief working officer and chief technical officer at Audi.
The place Binotto will probably take accountability within the political aspect of F1, permitting Wheatley to concentrate on his job as group principal, Oakes faces this activity on his personal.
In line with Sky Sports activities F1’s Ted Kravitz, it’s unthinkable to see a scenario the place Alpine would have Flavio Briatore – who now holds the function of Renault CEO Luca de Meo’s govt advisor – be concerned in group principal conferences in the identical approach Binotto can be for Audi.
“He’s very a lot in that membership of formidable, younger drivers-turned-team bosses,” Kravitz mentioned of Oakes on Sky Sports activities F1’s most up-to-date podcast.
“As a group boss he’ll know what makes drivers tick, as a result of he was one.
“He is aware of how groups are run and in a way I believe he’ll be okay on the political aspect as effectively, as a result of what Oakes doesn’t have is someone straight above him who might be doing all the political stuff.
“So, Wheatley is group principal, however he has chief govt officer Mattia Binotto straight above him within the Sauber/Audi construction who will have the ability to do all the political stuff.
“Oakes goes to should do all the politics stuff himself, until he desires Flavio to do it.
“Being in an F1 Fee assembly or being within the group principals’ [meeting]… Flavio’s not going to show as much as the group principals’ assembly. “He’s an govt advisor to Renault’s boss. That’s not a place for him to show up at a group principals’ assembly.
“Now, should you’re at Sauber/Audi, okay the group principal is Jonathan Wheatley, however the boss of the operation who’s taking a higher-level view is Mattia Binotto.
“Mattia Binotto is extra use to being at Stefano Domenicali’s group principals’ espresso mornings.
“So, you’d think about Binotto will get Wheatley to run the Formulation 1 group however he’ll be concerned at that larger Audi stage in representing at that form of consultant stage.
“However Oakes goes to have to try this politics factor and fairly shortly, whereas we’ll have to attend and see whether or not Wheatley – who is aware of extra about working in Formulation 1, as a result of he’s labored in Formulation 1 for a lot of extra years than Oliver Oakes has… Wheatley will know extra of that, however Wheatley doesn’t know as a lot about being a race group principal as Oakes does.”
