Is Renault meddling too much with Alpine’s F1 team? Oakes refutes that theory

Alpine crew principal Oliver Oakes has responded to feedback from Otmar Szafnauer hitting out on the Renault management, asserting his System 1 crew is “very fortunate to have that help”.

Szafnauer was Alpine’s crew principal from February 2022 to July 2023. They subsequently parted methods because of the American and Renault CEO Luca de Meo disagreeing on the crew’s timeline for achievement, as a number of key figures from the squad have been proven the door.

On the time, Alpine was following a 100-race plan launched by Laurent Rossi, then Alpine CEO, in October 2021 “to achieve a degree of competitiveness that locations us on the rostrum as many occasions as doable in 2024” earlier than reaching the entrance of the grid the following 12 months – which Szafnauer felt was too bold, reckoning success was doable on the long run.

Seventy-four grands prix have taken place because the now-abandoned 100-race plan was launched, and Alpine achieved simply 4 top-eight finishes in 2024 – together with its sensational double podium on the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Asked in April 2024 whether Renault understood what it took to be successful in F1, Szafnauer retorted: “Not from what I noticed.

“I believe the very best factor, and never simply Renault however for giant automobile corporations to do – and I’ve seen it lots, even with automobile corporations which have racing as a part of their DNA: they should not meddle. Depart it! It is a lot completely different from a automobile firm, it is best to simply go away it to the specialists.”

Oakes, who took up the crew principal mantle after interim boss Bruno Famin departed in August 2024, acknowledged there have been ‘parts of reality’ in Szafnauer’s opinion however nonetheless defended the Renault management’s method.

“What I’d say is that it’s not at all times one measurement matches all,” Oakes told Autosport in an exclusive interview.

“I believe it’s truthful to say that parts of it are true – and he’s a great mate, he’s been right here earlier than – however I believe folks also needs to bear in mind who pays the payments and who helps the crew. And from my viewpoint, we’re very fortunate to have that help.

“It’s straightforward to at all times level the finger at someone who’s ‘meddling’, however typically you must ask your self, effectively, why have they got to get entangled? Is it as a result of we’re not dealing with the stuff? Is it as a result of we actually have taken our eye off the ball? You may get annoyed at first, however you then step again and also you say, ‘Really, we most likely ought to have executed that higher, however we didn’t need to hear that.’

“I don’t assume there’s any want to cover issues. I don’t assume there’s any must preserve them at arm’s size. I believe on the finish of the day now we have to work collectively. We’ve to construct that belief. F1 is a fancy enterprise, as is the automotive world, and you’ll’t get it proper on a regular basis. I believe clearly what’s occurred earlier than – everybody has their views, their opinions.

“From my facet, perhaps issues are a bit completely different now. Possibly Luca has extra direct contact with me and Flavio [Briatore, Alpine’s executive advisor since May 2024]. Possibly the crew has needed to hit a little bit of all-time low to reset. I don’t know. On the finish of the day none of that’s stopping you from making a great race automobile.”

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos

Oakes is now tackling his first full season on the helm of the Alpine squad and could be forgiven for any sense of trepidation after the outfit modified crew principals in every of the final 4 years.

“All people says to me, do you are feeling it like a weight in your shoulders or a strain? And I actually see it in a different way,” the Briton insisted. “There’s no grasp plan. There’s no stuff that’s been stated earlier than, ‘100 races’ and all that. We simply should get higher. We’ve to be a well-run crew.

“And I believe we simply should deal with ourselves. And even with all the noise about the power unit and all of the speak about promoting and all that form of garbage, I believe folks have already seen that we’re simply probably not going to be bothered by that anymore. We’re simply going to maintain our heads down.”