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 assist”.

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 fulfillment, as a number of key figures from the squad had 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 instances as doable in 2024” earlier than reaching the entrance of the grid the following yr – which Szafnauer felt was too bold, reckoning success was doable on the long term.

Seventy-four grands prix have taken place for the reason that 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 feel the very best factor, and never simply Renault however for large 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. Go away it! It is a lot completely different from a automobile firm, you need to simply depart it to the consultants.”

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

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

“I feel it is truthful to say that parts of it are true – and he is an excellent mate, he is been right here earlier than – however I feel individuals also needs to bear in mind who pays the payments and who helps the crew. And from my standpoint, we’re very fortunate to have that assist.

“It is easy to at all times level the finger at anyone who’s ‘meddling’, however typically it’s important to ask your self, properly, 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 will get pissed off at first, however then you definately step again and also you say, ‘Really, we most likely ought to have achieved that higher, however we did not wish to hear that.’

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

Oliver Oakes, Staff Principal Alpine F1 attends the Staff Principals Press Convention

Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Pictures

“From my facet, possibly 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 do not know. On the finish of the day none of that’s stopping you from making an excellent race automobile.”

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.

“Everyone says to me, do you are feeling it like a weight in your shoulders or a strain? And I actually see it in another way,” the Briton insisted. “There isn’t any grasp plan. There isn’t any stuff that is been stated earlier than, ‘100 races’ and all that. We simply should get higher. We’ve to be a well-run crew.

“And I feel we simply should give attention to ourselves. And even with all the noise about the power unit and all of the discuss promoting and all that type of garbage, I feel individuals 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.”