F1: Oakes' resignation from Alpine came days after police charged brother
Oliver Oakes' resignation as team principal of F1 team Alpine this week came several days after UK police charged his brother with transferring criminal property.
Metropolitan Police said William Oakes, 31, was charged on last Friday after being stopped the day before in the Silverstone Park area 'in possession of a large amount of cash.'
Police said he was remanded in custody after an appearance before the Northampton Magistrates' Court on Saturday. It wasn't clear who his attorney is to seek comment.
Oliver Oakes had joined Alpine from his junior team, Hitech Grand Prix, where William Oakes also was listed as a director. Hitech did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
READ | Flavio Briatore's comeback: Why the man behind Crashgate is back to lead Alpine
Oliver Oakes, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, had been Alpine's team principal for less than a year when his resignation was announced on Tuesday.
A day later, the team confirmed it had changed its driver lineup to promote Franco Colapinto for at least the next five Grand Prix races at the expense of Jack Doohan.
Alpine is ninth in the F1 constructors' standings after six rounds. The next race weekend is May 16-18 at Imola.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
F1's next big hope is rising rapidly through the ranks
The road to Formula One, the pinnacle of single-seater racing, is one of the most challenging in sports. While the pathway to get there is structured through various levels in junior formulae, getting through those in the shortest time frame is the challenge most young racing drivers face. Ever since Max Verstappen burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old, the top teams have always been in constant search for the next big thing. In the lead-up to this season, there was much hype around Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this year. Many believe that the Italian is the next big thing in the mould of Verstappen. Alongside Antonelli, this year, F1 is undergoing a generational transformation with as many as six rookies entering their first full season. Next year, the sport could have one more young gun joining the ranks. In April, during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah, the 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad made history by becoming the youngest driver to win an FIA Formula 2 race in the sprint race that weekend. The British racer has been part of Red Bull Racing's junior programme for the last few years and is one of the brightest prospects in the junior categories. Interestingly, the teenager has Indian heritage through his mother and is quite familiar with the culture, having grown up in a household where his maternal grandmother took care of him and even prepared Indian food for race meetings. Last year, he visited India with his parents and maternal grandparents. The Red Bull hierarchy, including Dr. Helmut Marko, in charge of the young driver's programme, and team boss Christian Horner, has constantly referred to Lindblad as their next big bet in F1. 'Taking a win, it's just a big confidence booster. It takes away a bit of pressure, but it's not like there's no pressure because one win will not change your career. It was good to get the season started, and I'm very happy,' said Lindblad. 'I think it feels good, but there's still a lot of work to be done. It was a sprint race, not a feature. It gives me confidence that I'm doing a good job and we're making steps forward. However, I'm not naive enough to think this is okay. I mean, I've still got a lot of work to be done. There's still a lot of work to be done. I'm not settling down now just because I won a race,' he explained after his record-breaking feat. Earlier this year, the youngster won the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand, which helped him earn enough points to qualify for an FIA Super License, a prerequisite for participating in F1. He will have it once he turns 18 in August. However, in a clear sign of faith in the youngster, Red Bull has requested that the FIA fast-track his application, and the governing body is set to meet next week to determine if the exemption can be granted to him. Apart from his sheer speed and consistent results, it is Lindblad's meteoric rise through the junior ranks that has stood out in his journey so far, despite coming from a non-racing background. Recently, Dr Marko recalled the first time he met the youngster, who was 13 at the time, during a karting world championship event. He was impressed by his maturity and signed him up for the Red Bull Junior programme. 'If I look back, I met him first in Portimão. I met him and his father, and Arvid was leading the conversation. So that also was something which is not normal,' Marko said to the Inside Line F1 podcast. The Red Bull programme is known for being cut-throat, and Dr. Marko's reputation is one of a stern taskmaster and someone ruthless when it comes to dropping drivers who don't deliver. However, Lindblad says he doesn't feel the pressure and instead revels in it. 'I feel I'm pretty good at blocking out the noise on that side. And also, I put a lot of pressure on myself because I want to be in Formula One. That's also why Dr. Marko and I get along quite well. I think sometimes on these junior teams, it's easy to maybe lose sight of why you're there and what you're doing, because you feel the pressure from the bosses to perform. I can flip it a different way and say I'm here because they believe in me, and I want to reach Formula One, and they only want to help me get there. So I don't feel any pressure on that side,' he adds. One of the challenges of advancing through the ranks is not to stay at the same level for too long, but to continually step up. More than half of the current grid has followed the F4, F3, and F2 routes. Seamless progress After acing the karting level, the 17-year-old began single-seater racing properly only two years ago in F4 and has progressed seamlessly to the following levels, reaching F2 in only his third year in cars. 'I feel that in F2, of course, the second and third seasons help a lot, but I think even in the younger categories, it makes an even bigger difference. You can imagine when you're young, there's a lot more to learn. So I think that makes a big difference. I think that a second year or an extra year helps a lot,' Lindblad explains. 'I'm still learning massively. The step I made during the F3 season alone was huge just cause it was my second year in a car and most people are doing that second year in a car in F4, or FRECA (Formula Regional European Championship).' Last year in the FIA F3, Lindblad finished fourth in the standings and briefly led the championship, achieving some impressive wins, including a double win at Silverstone (Sprint and Feature races). In one race that weekend, he came through the field from outside the top-10. Speaking about the targets for the season, Lindblad said it is to start fighting for wins regularly by the second half of the season. 'I think that the goal is similar to F3, to sort of learn the first couple of races. It is a big step. I'm still young and experienced and sort of just chip away at it, but by the second half of the season, I want to be challenging for wins and poles. If I'm being honest, I want to do it earlier than the second half of the season. I'm just really focused on myself and trying to keep learning, working with the team, because I believe that we can.' Shining in Spain Cut to earlier this week, Lindblad already hit his next goal when he clinched his maiden pole position during the Spanish GP weekend in Barcelona and also managed his first feature race win. The victory has put him just eight points behind leader Alex Dunne and is in the thick of the fight for the F2 title. In fact, a few years ago, while he was still in karts, Lindblad told current McLaren driver and title contender Lando Norris that he would be racing against him in F1 soon. 'It was quite funny,' he says, recalling the incident. 'I met him when he came to the kart track in 2021, and we were all racing. It was a big karting race, and he came because he was launching his own chassis. And I remember I was just there with my friend, and I saw him, and I said to my friend, I'm going to go and talk to him, and he was like 'no, you're not brave enough.' Initially, I was kind of on the edge, but then when he said that, that he almost didn't believe that I was going to do it, that almost was like motivation for me. And I don't know, I just went straight up to Lando. I just saw Lando, and I was like, 'Remember me, I'll see you in five years.' And it was meant in just like sort of a joking manner, but also with a hint of determination, saying, I'm going to be pushing hard, and I hope to do it in the future. And yeah, I have been working hard the last couple of years. I didn't leave myself a very easy timeline, because I had to do one category for every year, which is what I have done.' In a few months, Lindblad will be eligible to participate in F1 free practice sessions, in which teams are mandated to run young drivers, and will even have the opportunity to run alongside Norris and showcase his abilities behind the wheel of an F1 car. Being part of Red Bull means he is part of a team that controls four seats in F1 with potential vacancies. But at the same time, Lindblad says that while he is aware of the opportunities, he wants to avoid dwelling too far into the future and is focused on the job at hand. 'I'm quite aware. I see the news reports that Dr. Marko and Christian Horner are mentioning me in a positive light, which is good and means they're pleased with what I'm doing. That gives me confidence and a sign that I am doing things right, and just to keep sort of working the same way.' 'But I am also very aware that it can change very quickly, and them talking about me now is not going to get me to F1 next year. I try not to think about it. I just focus on the performance in F2 because I know that's what will get me to F1. I know, I'm confident that if I do well, there'll be an opportunity for me.' 'Hopefully, I will do F2 once, and then I will be in F1 next year. And then that will be the timeline sorted. So yeah, we will see.'
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Dan Ticktum plays video game on his mobile during rain delay, fan says 'This is the most Ticktum thing to ever happen'
Image credit: Dan Ticktum Dan Ticktum recently added a big achievement to his portfolio by clinching his first-ever podium at the Tokyo E-Prix. He finished the Round 9 Tokyo race in third position. Now, a video has been shared to reveal how he kills time when a race is delayed or he has some time to kill. It seems he loves playing video games and was seen playing one during a race delay. Dan Ticktum spotted playing Metaphor on his mobile phone Formula E has revealed how Cupra Kiro driver Dan Ticktum keeps himself entertained during race delays. A video shows Ticktum sitting in the car while waiting for the race to start and killing time by playing a game on his mobile phone. The video hints that someone, probably Oliver Rowland, was heard saying, 'Is he playing Call of Duty? Haha hahaha legend.' Ticktum himself revealed in the comments section that he was playing Metaphor. A fan commented on the video, 'Genuinely cool team for letting him do that. This is how you keep a driver happy.' Ticktum responded to the fan, saying, 'Absolutely.' When another asked, 'Is that Metaphor?' Ticktum replied, 'Yes lol.' A fan wrote, 'Bro I think he got a little bit distracted.' Another said, 'Classic tickboom.' One more said, 'Dan is bored and bored is dan. This is the most ticktum thing to ever happened.' A fan agreed with Ticktum, saying, 'gotta keep entertained mate.' A comment also read: 'He can give you a million excuses for why F1 never worked out for him. But this video is a reason.' Dan Ticktum also made headlines recently for responding to George Russell's remark when the Mercedes driver hinted at him for being the only one who deliberately hit a co-participant in a race. Ticktum said in a recorded message, 'Number one, thank you for the free publicity. We'll take that any day of the week. And two, while what Max did today was a little bit sceptical, to be likened to him at any point in my career is a positive if you ask me. Goodbye." Also Read: 'Everyone doubts me': Dan Ticktum after claiming first-ever podium at Tokyo E-Prix 2025 Round 9 Ticktum will now be participating in the upcoming race at Jakarta. The Jakarta E-Prix is scheduled for June 13–15.
News18
9 hours ago
- News18
Hyderabad Student Refused US Visa ‘Surprise Quiz': Here's What Happened
Last Updated: The Visa Officer (VO) at the US Consulate in Hyderabad initially asked normal questions but soon turned into a surprising and difficult technical quiz. A recent student applying for an F1 visa at the US Consulate in Hyderabad faced an unexpected rejection under Section 214(b). After finishing their undergraduate degree in April 2025, they applied to several US universities for a Master's program in Data Science. The Visa Officer (VO) initially asked normal questions about their education and university choices but soon turned into a surprising and difficult technical quiz. Even though the applicant stayed calm and answered clearly, the officer decided to refuse the visa and asked the individual to reapply. Feeling confused and unsure about what went wrong, the applicant shared their story online, hoping to get advice and support. Taking to Reddit, the applicant explained, 'I had my F1 visa interview at the Hyderabad Consulate, India. He is a white male VO in his 30s. Unfortunately, I was rejected under section 214(b). Here's how it went: VO: Are you still studying? Me: No, I completed my undergraduate degree this year, in April 2025. VO: What universities have you applied to? Me: Indiana University Bloomington, University of Colorado Boulder, Northeastern University, Arizona State University, University of Florida and University of Washington. VO: Tell me about your project. Me: I explained my project, what I worked on, the technologies I used and what I learned from it." 'Then, he unexpectedly asked some technical questions: Do you know coding well? Me: I'm decent at it. What's the difference between Array and Linked List? What is Linear Regression? He then repeated: VO: Which universities did you apply to again? Me: (Repeated the same list: IUB, CU Boulder, NEU, ASU, UF and UW.) VO: Why Indiana University Bloomington? Me: It has one of the oldest and most established Data Science departments. They offer specialisations across different tracks like Applied Data Science, Computational DS and Analytical DS," the individual added. The applicant shared that during the interview, the officer asked which track they had chosen and they replied with Applied Data Science. When asked why, they explained that this track includes job-focused courses that match their career goals and will help them gain useful skills. After a short pause, the officer informed, 'Unfortunately, your visa has been rejected. You're welcome to reapply." The student was surprised by the technical questions. They tried to remain calm and answered truthfully, but they still didn't understand what caused the rejection. Reacting to the post, a user wrote, 'Industry-oriented is not the word you should say. Or if you say it, you should emphasise that I would work back home." 'Two things I would say might have been the cause for rejection would be: You did not indicate that you planned on returning after your program. None of your answers showed your personality, they seemed scripted and robotic," a comment read. An individual stated, 'After the new visa slot pause, there has been a hike in technical questions asked, so anyone having an upcoming interview, do the basics right and be sure you know what you're saying, as the counter questions will feel like arrows coming at you." Another mentioned, 'Maybe he just ran out of time and had to make a decision, for the last question, maybe you should've looped back to how this will help you get a better job in your country, but other than that, I don't think you could've done anything differently." One more added, 'A visa denial under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) typically means the consular officer wasn't convinced you intended to return to your home country after your studies." A new Reddit post has gained attention after news broke that the US government, under President Donald Trump, has temporarily stopped scheduling new visa interview appointments for student and exchange visitors. According to Politico reports, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent a message to embassies around the world, asking consular offices to pause adding new interview slots for F, M and J visa applicants. First Published:
