Alpine boss plotting Formula One fightback

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AFP) — Oliver Oakes, the team principal of Formula One’s Alpine, has big goals, saying that he wants the strugglers to shrug off their problems and be at “the front” of the midfield next season.

The 36-year-old Englishman admitted there is no “silver bullet” to remedy the team’s issues which going into Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix has them sitting in ninth spot with just 16 points, kept off the bottom by a pointless Sauber team.

Their desperate campaign was epitomized by Esteban Ocon’s ill-advised attempt to overtake teammate Pierre Gasly in the Monaco Grand Prix which resulted in both cars exiting the race.

Ocon, who recorded Alpine’s sole Grand Prix success in Hungary in 2021, was criticized by the team and is leaving at the end of the season.

He is to be replaced by rookie Jack Doohan, son of Australia’s five-time motorcycling world champion Mick Doohan.

“I’m massively motivated,” said Oakes, who only took charge two months ago.

“I never want to walk to the back of the grid. I get upset. There are small goals in my head already of where I want to be.”

“I think starting March next year that’s sort of my immediate thing on my radar is we need to get back to being consistently in the midfield, at the front of it.”

“That’s where this team was more often than not. Unfortunately the last few years we slipped back.”

Oakes, a former racing driver himself though never in Formula One, says the reason for Red Bull’s dominance ending this season is because other teams have raised their game.

That is an example Alpine — who were formerly Renault and will lose their engines come the 2026 season — should follow.

“At the end of the day F1 is a tough business,” he said.

“It’s very competitive. I think we can really see that at the front of the grid and also in the midfield.”

“This year there have been a lot of teams winning. No one is dominating. I think that F1 has changed quite a lot in terms of every team has raised its level.”

“I think for us if we want to be back in the front we also need to be appreciating that.”

Oakes said there is no “master plan” about how to turn things around but a good start would be to “produce a better car.”

“I think there is no silver bullet,” he said. “I think we ultimately have to produce a better car.”

“We have to be humble where we need to improve. I think a lot has been spoken about us exploring other options with the powertrain.”

“That of course is one topic but also on the chassis side as well we need to improve.”

Oakes said it is imperative a medium-sized team is united and working together.

“We’re not the biggest team on the grid by any means,” he said.

“But we really need to work well and I think my first thing when I joined was to really make sure across Viry-Chatillon (where the engine is manufactured) and Enstone (where the chassis is produced) we’re working closer together.”

Oakes believes the team is in a good place to move forward.

“I feel we’re in a good position,” he said.