When Alpine announced Flavio Briatore`s return as an executive advisor last June, the press release stated his focus would be on “top-level areas.” Less than a year later, his influence is clearly visible across all parts of the Renault-owned operation, from the cancellation of their 2026 engine project to the significant changes in the driver lineup over the past day. With the departure of team principal Oli Oakes on Tuesday, Briatore, for better or worse, is once again in a leading position.
Briatore`s return to the team where he achieved championship success two decades ago was always expected to be controversial. In 2009, the FIA banned him for life for his involvement in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix `Crashgate` scandal, where he allegedly instructed Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash deliberately to cause a safety car that would help teammate Fernando Alonso win. A French court overturned his ban in 2010, and while he remained an influential figure in F1, he had not been directly involved in team management again until last summer.
Oakes` resignation, attributed to personal reasons by Alpine on Wednesday, means Briatore will reassume the day-to-day management of the Enstone-based team. With his preferred driver pairing of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto now established, the 75-year-old Italian has the team directly under his command, supported by Renault CEO Luca de Meo.
Precisely what will result from the recent chaos at Alpine remains uncertain. Briatore`s notoriously cutthroat management style could potentially yield short-term gains, but the team`s long-term prospects are as unclear as ever.
Colapinto Replaces Doohan Amidst Controversy
Recent events at Alpine are not surprising to those who remember Briatore`s leadership style in the mid-2000s. As Renault team principal in 2004, he dismissed Jarno Trulli after the Italian, who had secured the team`s only victory that year in Monaco, failed to score points for five consecutive races. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, was brought in as a replacement for the final three races but struggled to adapt and finished no higher than 10th, outside the point-scoring positions at the time.
Of course, there are some differences with the latest driver change at Enstone. Rookie Jack Doohan was given only seven races (including his debut last year) to perform, while his replacement, Colapinto, has been given just five to prove his capability.
However, while the possibility of Doohan`s return is technically open, the additional sponsorship Colapinto brings and the awkward timing of a swap mid-season suggest the Argentine would have to perform very poorly to lose his seat before the British Grand Prix in July.
So, was it fair to drop Doohan after only six races? On the surface, the Australian`s results were underwhelming. He scored zero points compared to teammate Gasly`s seven, with his best finish being 13th in Bahrain, where he ran in the top 10 for much of the race.
Before that, he crashed out of the opening round in Australia, was involved in a last-lap incident in the China sprint, and had a significant crash in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. Most recently, and perhaps the final decisive factor for Alpine`s management, he crashed out of Sunday`s race in Miami after colliding with Liam Lawson on the first corner.
In Doohan`s defense, his underlying pace was respectable, with an average qualifying gap to Gasly of 0.314 seconds across all qualifying sessions. Furthermore, in Miami, Doohan outqualified Gasly for the first time in a standard session, demonstrating the kind of progress expected from a rookie early in their debut season.
Doohan`s performances should also be considered in light of the pressure he faced from the moment Briatore arranged a loan deal for Colapinto from Williams in January. Even before driving the new Alpine in preseason testing, the Australian was questioned about his future amidst rumors that Colapinto would replace him within the first five races.
Alpine offered some support for Doohan in the media, but it was telling that Oakes did not rule out the possibility of an early driver change. Moreover, everyone connected to the team, including Colapinto`s sponsors, dropped numerous hints that a move was planned around the time of the Miami race.
Perhaps the most revealing comment before the season came from Williams team principal James Vowles, who clarified that he released Colapinto to Alpine to maximize the Argentine`s chances of racing in F1 this year.
“I wanted him to be racing in 2025 or 2026,” Vowles stated, explaining that Williams` current driver lineup offered no immediate opportunity for Colapinto. “The best chance he has is with Alpine, as far as [getting a race seat in F1], that`s why he`s there. And I don`t mean that to the detriment of Jack. I hope Jack has a successful time.
“But ultimately, Franco is my driver that I want back in the car. After a period of time, he`ll return to Williams. That period of time is not a line set in stone… But I can say he`ll be back to Williams at some point.”
On Wednesday, Briatore claimed Alpine`s strategy of rotating drivers was intended to provide a “complete and fair assessment” before the major regulation changes in 2026. However, with Williams seemingly having the right to recall Colapinto in the future, Alpine might end up providing extensive race experience for a driver who is ultimately expected to return to a main competitor just as he reaches his prime.
Meanwhile, the future and confidence of Doohan, the only junior driver promoted to a race seat in the history of Alpine`s driver academy, appear to be in serious doubt.
What Lies Ahead for Alpine?
The chaos of the past 24 hours is very much in line with Alpine`s recent history. Since returning as a full factory team in 2016 (rebranded Alpine in 2021), the Renault-owned outfit has not finished higher than fourth in the constructors` championship and has achieved only one win and nine podiums. They also allowed current championship leader, Oscar Piastri, to leave their driver academy for rivals McLaren in 2022—a move that looks particularly unfortunate given Piastri`s current form and Alpine`s struggle to find an effective teammate for Gasly.
Upheaval in the team`s management is the most evident reason for its underperformance, with a rapid turnover of senior figures, especially over the last two years.
This cycle began with the exit of brand CEO Laurent Rossi in July 2023, followed a week later by team principal Otmar Szafnauer, technical chief Pat Fry, and sporting director Alan Permane.
In the aftermath, Bruno Famin was appointed interim team principal before taking on the role permanently later that year. His tenure saw the departures of technical director Matt Harman and head of aerodynamics Dirk de Beer, before Famin himself stepped down almost exactly one year after starting.
Famin`s departure coincided with Renault Group`s decision, made in consultation with the newly appointed Briatore, to close down their F1 engine program after 2025 and use Mercedes power units under the new regulations for 2026. This decision will end a 49-year run as an F1 engine manufacturer.
Oli Oakes joined Alpine as Famin`s replacement, with Doohan`s promotion for 2025 being among the first major announcements under his brief leadership. However, with Briatore already in position, Oakes` authority within the team always seemed contingent on approval from above.
Following an initial Alpine statement declining comment on Oakes` reasons for leaving, Alpine and Briatore posted on social media the next day to deny reports of a disagreement.
“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,” Briatore stated. “This is completely false and far from the truth.”
Oakes added: “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 the dream deserves to be.”
The unrealized potential of Alpine`s F1 team remains the most frustrating aspect. Despite the management changes, there is still a dedicated and skilled workforce at Enstone that could undoubtedly achieve more with stable and consistent leadership.
While the switch to Mercedes power next year marks the end of Alpine as a works engine team, it could provide a significant performance boost compared to non-Mercedes competitors at the start of 2026. To capitalize on that opportunity, the team needs stability above all else.
Whether this latest era under Briatore will provide that stability or simply bring more months of upheaval remains to be seen.
