Briatore and Oakes speak out for the first time after a whirlwind couple of days at Alpine

Flavio Briatore has responded for the first time to the departure of team boss Oliver Oakes from Alpine.

The departure of the Englishman means it will be the fourth team principal for the French team in under five years, with Briatore now taking over the role that Oakes once had.

As a result of the rumours that were building that suggested Jack Doohan would be replaced by reserve driver Colapinto, Oakes left his role with immediate effect after joining the team in 2024. A day later, the move was officially announced.

Doohan took part in just six Grands Prix in the 2025 season before he was replaced by former Williams driver Colapinto

Briatore's response to Oakes' departure

In his first statement since the major changes at the team, Briatore began by saying: "A lot has been said over the past 24 hours incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning due to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views. This is completely false and far from the truth.

"Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together. We respect Oli's request to resign and have therefore accepted his resignation. The reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature."

Finally, Briatore said: "I will continue to be more and more involved with the team, together with the strong management we already have in place. We will work hard on improving our position this season and preparing for 2026."

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Oakes also responded: "It has been an honour to lead in Enstone. What a team, what a place.

"It has been a personal decision for me to take a step back. Flavio has been like a father to me. He has been nothing but supportive since I took on the role, just as he gave me the chance. Everyone is ready for 2026, to ensure that this dream gets to where it belongs. I believe in Enstone," he concluded.

This article was written in collaboration with Cas van de Kleut