From Alpine's limelight to the anonymity of F2: Oliver Oakes seeks quietude

In the corner of the Formula 2 paddock, the Hitech team is stationed this weekend in Imola. Their quarters, in no way reminiscent of the massive hospitality units that Formula 1 travels through Europe with. Essentially, they're working with nothing more than an expensive version of a party tent. Sponsors, indulging in the luxury of F1, with champagne and expensive food, are barely present - if at all.

Formula 2 is racing as it was originally intended, roaming around with one or two trucks and a modest number of staff members. Walking in the F2 paddock, Formula 1 feels truly far away. Even literally, as F2 team members cannot just enter the F1 paddock. They don't have access passes for that.

For Oliver Oakes, the F2 paddock is familiar territory. Until mid-2024, he was indeed the team principal of Hitech, the British squad he also owned and still does. But a year ago, Oakes was suddenly made the team principal of Alpine in Formula 1; in the spotlight, with hundreds of employees and tens of millions in budget at his disposal.

The adventure ended as abruptly as it began, two weeks ago. Oakes surprised Alpine and the entire F1 world the Monday after the Miami Grand Prix by stepping down immediately. 'Personal reasons' were cited in a press release, but what exactly had happened? No one knew. Not even Alpine.

The French team had to read in the newspaper a few days later that William Oakes had been arrested on suspicion of embezzlement. Then it was one plus one equals two: Oliver Oakes had stepped down because his brother's case directly had a connection with Hitech, the team where William Oakes was the director. According to the rumor mill, Oliver had therefore gone underground in Dubai.

Nonsense, as it turns out in Imola, where Oakes is thus back at his own team. He hasn't been around Alpine, and there's mostly been no farewell to his former colleagues. Oakes prefers to remain anonymous and in the background in Italy. If he ever walks somewhere else on the paddock, he does so certainly not by chance behind the other teams, through a narrow path. No one sees him.

Oakes has not given interviews since his departure. However, he stops when GPblog addresses him, but the Brit indicates he cannot comment. How he feels is guessable. You just have to look at his body language. At some point, the Brit will gladly tell his side of the story.

Of course, he finds it extremely unfortunate that the adventure at Alpine ended so quickly. He enjoyed it there, worked with wonderful people, and it seemed as though the French team was on an upward trajectory. But to talk about it in the media? Not now.

Then he's gone. Some fifty meters away from him, Alpine driver Pierre Gasly drives his F1 car onto the main straight of the Imola circuit. Oliver Oakes completely misses it.