Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has resigned from the team, with immediate effect. Flavio Briatore will assume Oakes’ responsibilities until a replacement can be found. This sudden exit comes less than a year after Oakes took the reins from Bruno Famin. No reason was given to explain the exit, although it’s not the first time the team has abruptly parted ways with a team principal. Otmar Szafnauer suffered a similarly sudden exit in 2023. Rumours have linked the departure to a disagreement with advisor Briatore over replacing Doohan, which has been further fueled by the announcement that came out the following day. Additionally, Oakes’ exit came just days after his brother William was arrested and charged with “transferring criminal property”. William is a director at Hitech GP, a formerly Russian-owned racing team owned by Oliver since 2022, which competes in lower formulae. There is no evidence to suggest that the arrest is linked to Oakes’ departure from Alpine.
Jack Doohan has become the second driver to lose his seat this season, with Franco Colapinto replacing him at Alpine. Colapinto will be behind the wheel for at least the next five races, and the team will evaluate their options after the Austrian Grand Prix. Doohan has had a difficult rookie season, consistently underperforming compared to teammate Pierre Gasly. Colapinto has more race experience, having shown strong results at Williams last year when he replaced Logan Sargeant. Alpine is under pressure to perform, currently only clinging onto ninth in the World Constructors’ Championship by a single point over Sauber. News of Doohan’s replacement came only a day after Flavio Briatore took over control of the team from Oliver Oakes.
Carlos Sainz Sr. has emerged as a potential candidate in the upcoming FIA president election. This comes from sources close to Sainz, although he has not officially announced any intention to run. His son, also named Carlos Sainz, currently races at Williams. Sainz is a rally driver, having won the World Rally Championship in 1990 and 1992. Although his full-time rally days are over, he still competes in a variety of events. Most notable is the Dakar Rally, which he has won four times. Outside of the driver’s seat, he also founded the Acciona Sainz XE Team, which competed in the now-defunct Extreme E electric rally series. Current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was elected to replace Jean Todt in 2021, but has faced numerous controversies, as many senior figures continue to jump ship. The next FIA election will happen at the end of the year and will likely see a new FIA President selected.
Max Verstappen completed a secret test at the Nurburgring in a Ferrari 269 GT3. To avoid attention, the Dutchman participated under the name Franz Hermann. It was a session organized by the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie, a group of motorsport clubs that hold races at the Nurburgring, including the ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hours. Verstappen has expressed interest in various racing series outside of Formula One. He regularly participates in eSports and owns the Verstappen.com team that competes in the GT World Challenge.
Long-time physiotherapist Fabrizio Borra passed away this week at the age of 64 after a battle with cancer. Borra was a very successful motorsport physiotherapist, working in MotoGP and Formula One. Most notably, he worked with Fernando Alonso since his debut with Minardi in 2001. He also worked with Michael Schumacher after he suffered a broken leg at the 1999 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. “Thank you for teaching me so much and making me a better person and athlete,” Alonso wrote on social media. “My whole career with you has been the greatest good fortune I could have.”
It can be challenging for even the most avid fans to keep up with the fast-paced world of Formula One. The Weekly F1 Recap is a series published each Monday that breaks down the action, both on and off the circuit, into bit-sized pieces. It's perfect for casual and experienced fans alike.
