Alpine: Oakes era begins in Holland, the ex Red Bull wanted by Briatore

With the summer break now over, Formula 1 will be back to firing up its engines this weekend for the eagerly awaited Dutch Grand Prix. A special event for all the participating drivers and teams, but especially for theAlpine. Following the announcement of Bruno Famin’s departure at the end of July from the role of Team Principal of the house of Enstone, in Zandvoort will make his official debut his replacement Oliver Oakesstrongly desired by Flavio Briatore.

Born in 1988, the British driver is currently the youngest team principal in action with his team. 36 years old of age. Having grown rapidly in the role of manager, with the foundation of the Oakes Team in karting and above all with the creation of the Hitech GP, present in championships such as F3 and F2, the time has now come for Oakes to make the big leap into F1 in an attempt to revive a team that is experiencing a difficult season, as demonstrated by the eighth place in the Constructors’ standings and with only 11 points.

A difficult mission, even more so with a driver line-up that will no longer be the same in 2025 due to the departure of Esteban Oconalready announced before the summer break as Haas’ new arrival for next season. For the Frenchman, however, the focus is now entirely on the second half of the championship, starting right from Zandvoort: “The first race back after a break is always a great feeling and the atmosphere in Zandvoort is particularly incredible. – he explained – the dedication and energy with which the Dutch fans approach the weekend can really motivate you as a driver. The circuit itself is challenging, with its tight corners and high speed, but I enjoy racing here. There is little room for errorso you always have to be fully focused and the Overtaking opportunities are limitedwhich means qualifying will be important to make the most of the weekend.”

Ocon, who is coming off a 9th place finish in the last Belgian GP, ​​with a points finish that his teammate Pierre Gasly he has been missing for three races, that is, since the Austrian GP. A return to the top-10 is possible and definitely less complex than a podium finish like the one he achieved in Holland last year with a 3rd place: “It’s fantastic to be back in Zandvoort for the next part of the season. – he commented – Last year was obviously a great weekend with a podium and a hectic race in mixed conditions. It’s an event I will remember fondly because it was my first podium in a Grand Prix with Alpine. We had to work hard to get it, we made some brave and decisive choices that went in our favor and, I have to say, we deserved it. I’m a big fan of old school, narrow, twisty tracks, and this one is unforgiving.. There is no room for mistakes and this makes every lap exciting for the drivers and the wild Dutch fans. It is possible to overtake on this track, but it is very difficult, so Qualifying and strategy will be very important. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel this weekend and get back to racing.”