Latest news with #WilliamOakes
Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Oliver Oakes quit as Alpine F1 boss days after brother was arrested
The shock resignation of Oliver Oakes as Alpine team director came only days after his brother was arrested and charged by the Metropolitan Police. William Oakes, a director of the Hitech Grand Prix team, a company his brother owns, was arrested last Thursday and charged with 'transferring criminal property'. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on May 1 in possession of a large amount of cash. He appeared before Northampton magistrates' court on Saturday May 3, and [has been] remanded in custody.' William Oakes was listed on Companies House as a director of Hitech in November 2022. Oliver Oakes, 37,
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
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.
News.com.au
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Wild arrest twist after Alpine boss resigns following Aussie driver's axing
The turmoil inside the Formula 1 garage of Alpine has taken a dramatic twist in the wake of team principal Oliver Oakes resigning. Oakes pulled the pin after less than a year in the position, a move that come only a day after it was announced Jack Doohan had been sacked. Many within the F1 community were quick to link Oakes' departure with Doohan's sacking after the Brit had been a major backer of the Aussie rookie. Oakes' departure however was noted as being 'of a personal nature' and on Friday it appeared the reason may have been revealed. The 37-year-old's young brother, William, was arrested by police on Thursday, May 1 and charged with 'transferring criminal property'. The Oakes brothers are co-directors of Hitech Grand Prix, which fields cars in Formula 2, Formula 3 and other junior categories. Hitech Grand Prix and holding company Hitech Global Holdings are both registered in Silverstone Park. The racing team's base is located in the Silverstone Park area, where 31-year-old William was detained by Metropolitan Police. 'William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in possession of a large amount of cash,' local police said in a statement. 'He appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court on Saturday, May 3, and remanded in custody.' is not suggesting Oliver Oakes had any involvement in the matters involving his brother. Meanwhile, in the wake of Oakes' departure from Alpine, the team moved quickly to shut down any suggestions his resignation was due to disagreements with executive director Flavio Briatore. 'A lot has been said in the past 24 hours, incorrectly associating the decision of Oli resigning to an alleged disagreement, or that we shared different views. This is completely false and far from the truth,' Briatore said in a statement he posted on Instagram with Alpine. 'Me and Oli have a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together. 'We accept 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.' Briatore is an infamous figure in the sport and the sight of him taking power at the team will not sit well with all F1 commentators. Briatore, who oversaw multiple world titles for Benetton in the 1990s and Renault in the mid-2000s, was the dominant figure of the 'Crashgate' scandal which saw his driver Nelson Piquet intentionally crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win the race. He was at the time given a lifetime ban by the FIA, Formula 1's governing body, for the incident. That ban was eventually overturned in a French court. He has also previously been convicted of crimes, including fraudulent bankruptcy and tax evasion. Alpine's decision to drop Doohan and install Franco Colapinto alongside Pierre Gasly did not go over well with Mick Doohan coming out swinging. The motorcycle legend attempted to come to the defence of his son as he took aim at the F1 team over the brutal move. The five-time MotoGP world champion posted a graphic of Doohan and Gasly's race results from the season so far on his Instagram stories. He was attempting to highlight just how poorly the Alpine car has been performing but F1 fans pointed out that the graphic he shared only served to emphasise how Jack was outclassed by his teammate. For the record, Gasly's results are 11th, 11th, 13th, 7th, DNF, 13th and Doohan's results are: DNF, 13th, 15th, 14th, 17th, DNF. F1 drivers are measured closely against their teammates first and foremost, and Doohan finishing behind Gasly would not have gone unnoticed within Alpine. Colapinto will now get a chance to prove his worth alongside Gasly while it remains to be seen if Doohan will get another chance to rekindle his Formula 1 career.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Alpine F1 boss Oliver Oakes' resignation came just days after brother was arrested for ‘transferring criminal property'
Oliver Oakes resigns as Alpine F1 boss amid his brother's criminal charges, prompting leadership changes and sparking internal speculation. (Credit: X) The Formula One world was thrown a curveball this week as Oliver Oakes announced his resignation as team principal of Alpine—less than a year into the role. The timing of his sudden departure has ignited speculation, especially as it followed the arrest and subsequent charging of his brother, William Oakes, on serious financial crime allegations. Formula 1 scandal brews as Alpine boss quits days after brother is charged by police William Oakes, 31, was charged last Friday by London's Metropolitan Police with 'transferring criminal property' after being caught with a 'large amount of cash' near Silverstone Park—a site synonymous with British motorsport and home to Hitech Grand Prix, where both Oakes brothers serve as directors. Operation Sindoor Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list Did Pak shoot down Indian jets? What MEA said India foils Pakistan's attack on Jammu airport: What we know so far William was remanded in custody following a court appearance in Northampton the next day. While Oliver Oakes has not been accused of any wrongdoing, his swift exit from Alpine, coming just days after his brother's legal troubles surfaced, has led to whispers of behind-the-scenes pressure. A source familiar with the situation disclosed that his resignation was 'concerned with the personal situation involving his family,' suggesting that the legal cloud hanging over his brother may have influenced his decision to step away. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Hitech Grand Prix, the single-seater team both brothers have shaped since 2015, has remained tight-lipped about the situation. Likewise, Alpine declined to comment on Oakes' exit when contacted by media outlets. As of now, both brothers are still listed as active directors on Hitech's Companies House profile, with Oliver having majority control since mid-2023—just before he transitioned into his Alpine role. Interestingly, the leadership shuffle at Alpine didn't stop with Oakes. Within 24 hours of his resignation, the team announced that test driver Franco Colapinto would replace Jack Doohan for at least the next five Grands Prix, starting with the Imola weekend on May 16–18. This sparked further speculation of internal disagreements, particularly with Flavio Briatore, Alpine's executive advisor. However, Briatore clarified via Instagram, 'the reasons are not related to the team and are of a personal nature.' Adding to the intrigue is Alpine's current standing in the constructors' championship—they sit ninth after six rounds, far from where they had hoped to be in 2024. A team already struggling for form is now tasked with navigating a leadership vacuum mid-season. Hitech, meanwhile, has had its own share of headline-making developments. Founded by Oliver Oakes and once majority-owned by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin—who has strong links to Vladimir Putin—the team saw its ownership shift in 2022 to Hitech Global Holdings Ltd, controlled by Oakes. Following that, Kazakhstan's billionaire Vladimir Kim bought a 25% stake in the operation. Despite an ambitious bid to join the F1 grid in 2026, Hitech's proposal was ultimately unsuccessful. As Oliver Oakes exits Alpine amid a family scandal and a struggling season, the F1 community will be watching closely to see how both Alpine and Hitech recalibrate their strategies. The sport thrives on high-stakes drama—but this latest twist is one that no paddock strategist could have forecast. Also Read: Lewis Hamilton believes Ferrari's F1 struggles are deeper than expected: 'Something is holding them back'
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Oakes' resignation from F1 team Alpine came days after police charged brother
LONDON (AP) — 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 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 Thursday. 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. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. ___ AP auto racing:
