Former Alpine F1 boss Oliver Oakes is believed to be in Dubai after his brother, William Oakes, was arrested in the United Kingdom for alleged involvement in criminal activities.
In a new development surrounding the Alpine-Oakes situation, reports have emerged that William Oakes was detained by police in the UK for “transferring criminal property.” It is believed that Oliver left Miami and is currently located in Dubai.
He officially resigned from his role as team principal on Tuesday evening. On the same day, Franco Colapinto was confirmed as a replacement for Jack Doohan under a 5-race deal. Later that day, Flavio Briatore issued a statement vehemently denying allegations surrounding Oakes’ departure and its alleged link to the driver switch.
Oliver Oakes also released his own statement, aligning with the Italian’s comments and referring to Briatore as a “father figure.” On Thursday, The Telegraph reported the arrest of William Oakes, noting he was found with a large sum of cash. Additionally, some Hitech GP cars were reportedly impounded.
According to a Metropolitan Police spokesperson speaking to Planet News:
“William Oakes, 31 (30.12.1993) of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, 2 May after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, 1 May 2025, in possession of a large amount of cash.”
“He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 3 May, and was remanded in custody.” It remains unclear whether the charges are related to Dmitry Mazepin, who shares ties with the Oakes family through their past involvement with Hitech GP. Mazepin, a Russian businessman, sold his share to British interests following the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, Franco Colapinto has been spotted participating in an Alpine TPC testing session at Zandvoort. Simultaneously, McLaren is conducting its own program at the same venue with F2 driver Alex Dunne, alongside regular drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
— V.2 Editorial Team
