Bruno Famin’s tenure as Alpine team principal is coming to an end. Exactly one year ago, on the weekend of the Belgian Grand Prix, a real earthquake occurred at the top of the team, with the departure of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane, forced to leave the paddock on Saturday morning.
Famin took over as a temporary choice while waiting to identify a full-time replacement on the market. Things then dragged on longer than expected, also due to several defections. Now it seems that the time has come for Famin to hand over the reins, which should coincide with the summer break that will follow the Spa weekend.
Bruno Famin, Team Principal Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
The team has not released any statement on the matter, but according to information gathered by Motorsport.com, Famin’s replacement should be Oliver Oakes. The 36-year-old Briton had already been linked to Alpine last spring, then silence fell, and Oakes continued his activity as team principal of HiTech, a team competing in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Oliver Oakes, Hitech Grand Prix on the podium
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
At thirty-six, the former karting world champion could be the youngest team principal in the paddock. After finishing his career as a driver, which saw him part of the Red Bull Junior Team for two seasons (2006 and 2007), Oakes began his activity as a team principal in 2010, first in karting and then, starting in 2015, at the helm of the HiTech project which enjoyed the financial support of the Mazepin family.
After attempting to enter Formula 1 by submitting an application for the HiTech team, which was later rejected by the FIA, for Oakes the Alpine opportunity would be the culmination of a journey that has highlighted a notable knowledge of motorsport and a strong leadership ability.
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