Oliver Oakes, the new principal of Alpine, received a noteworthy warning from Toto Wolff as he stepped into Formula 1. After facing challenges in the 2024 season, Oakes was appointed to shape the future of the team, becoming the second-youngest team principal in F1 history at the age of 36.
In his first few weeks on the job, Oakes encountered difficulties such as a strike in Renault’s engine department and Alpine’s inability to achieve consistent results, highlighting the significance of Wolff’s warning.
In a statement made in Singapore, Oakes said: “In some ways, it’s very similar to my role at Hitech GP because different people occupy different positions with the same characters.”
“So wherever you race, some things remain the same. It’s just a different series with different characters.”
“I really laughed when Toto called me and said, ‘Welcome to the piranha club.’ There’s a bit of that in this world, and it’s actually quite fun.”
