F1 Pundit reveals new Alpine team boss’ connection with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko

Ted Kravitz highlighted that Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes is well connected with Red Bull's Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.

F1 Pundit reveals new Alpine team boss’ connection with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko

Christian Horner, Helmut Marko and Oliver Oakes (images via IMAGO/F1)

During the Belgian GP, Alpine had announced that Oliver Oakes will take over as their new Team Principal. This change came after the news that Bruno Famin would be stepping down from the role. Oakes was once a member of Red Bull young drivers, which might indicate his potential linking with Red Bull’s. If that’s not true, the 36-year-old was seen with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner discussing their long history of working together.

Sky sports reporter, Ted Kravitz mentioned that Oliver Oakes used to be part of the Red Bull driver program. He won the World Karting Championship in 2005 and was a driver around the same time as Valtteri Bottas. Kravitz has noticed that Oakes is often seen with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko from Red Bull. This is because he has been involved in managing many of Red Bull’s young drivers in lower racing series.

Oakes he’s an ex-Red Bull young driver, he won the World Karting Championship in 2005, a kind of contemporary of Valtteri Bottas, that kind of era of driver. And I’ve seen him around the place with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, because he runs many of the Red Bull junior drivers in the lower formulas.
Ted Kravitz said on SkySportsF1 podcast
YouTube video

Ted Kravitz explained that Oliver Oakes works closely with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner on managing Red Bull’s young drivers. This ultimately means that he has long-standing connections with Milton Keynes and is well-acquainted with Marko and Horner. He was recently been announced as Alpine’s team principal so it might have indirect link to Red Bull.

FS Video
Oakes does a lot of work with Helmut Marko and Christian Horner in what they do with their young drivers. So he’s well-known to those two.
Ted Kravitz stated
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Ted Kravitz believes that Oliver Oakes reminds Flavio Briatore of a younger version of himself

Alpine boss Luca De Meo announced signing Crashgate mastermind Flavio Briatore as Alpine’s Executive Advisor in June. Kravitz explained that Briatore and Oliver Oakes knew each other very well. Oakes must have impressed the 74-year-old with his managing skills, which helped him become Alpine’s team principal. Briatore seemed to admire qualities of the 36-year-old, and it was possible that he reminded him of his younger self.

Flavio Briatore
Flavio Briatore, via IMAGO
He’s well-known to Flavio Briatore, who’s now the executive advisor to Luca de Meo, Oliver seems to have impressed Flavio Briatore. Flavio seems to have seen something in Oliver Oakes that he likes and admires, maybe reminds Flavio of a younger himself.
Ted Kravitz said

Certainly, Oakes’s management of Red Bull’s young talents in F2 and F3 helped him secure a role in F1 as Alpine’s team principal. Flavio Briatore places his trust in the former racing driver to lead the team to success.

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