Is Renault meddling too much with Alpine’s F1 team? Oakes refutes that theory

Alpine staff principal Oliver Oakes has responded to feedback from Otmar Szafnauer hitting out on the Renault management, asserting his Components 1 staff is “very fortunate to have that help”.

Szafnauer was Alpine’s staff principal from February 2022 to July 2023. They subsequently parted methods because of the American and Renault CEO Luca de Meo disagreeing on the staff’s timeline for fulfillment, as a number of key figures from the squad had been proven the door.

On the time, Alpine was following a 100-race plan launched by Laurent Rossi, then Alpine CEO, in October 2021 “to achieve a stage of competitiveness that locations us on the rostrum as many occasions as attainable in 2024” earlier than reaching the entrance of the grid the subsequent yr – which Szafnauer felt was too bold, reckoning success was attainable on the long run.

Seventy-four grands prix have taken place for the reason that now-abandoned 100-race plan was launched, and Alpine achieved simply 4 top-eight finishes in 2024 – together with its sensational double podium on the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Requested in April 2024 whether or not Renault understood what it took to achieve success in F1, Szafnauer retorted: “Not from what I noticed.

“I feel the very best factor, and never simply Renault however for large automotive firms to do – and I’ve seen it loads, even with automotive firms which have racing as a part of their DNA: they should not meddle. Go away it! It is a lot completely different from a automotive firm, you must simply depart it to the specialists.”

Otmar Szafnauer, Staff Principal, Alpine F1 Staff

Photograph by: James Sutton / Motorsport Photos

Oakes, who took up the staff principal mantle after interim boss Bruno Famin departed in August 2024, acknowledged there have been ‘parts of reality’ in Szafnauer’s opinion however nonetheless defended the Renault management’s method.

“What I might say is that it’s not at all times one measurement suits all,” Oakes informed Autosport in an unique interview.

“I feel it’s honest to say that parts of it are true – and he’s a superb mate, he’s been right here earlier than – however I feel individuals also needs to bear in mind who pays the payments and who helps the staff. And from my perspective, we’re very fortunate to have that help.

“It’s simple to at all times level the finger at any person who’s ‘meddling’, however typically you need to ask your self, effectively, why have they got to get entangled? Is it as a result of we’re not dealing with the stuff? Is it as a result of we actually have taken our eye off the ball? You may get pissed off at first, however you then step again and also you say, ‘Really, we most likely ought to have finished that higher, however we didn’t need to hear that.’

“I don’t suppose there’s any want to cover issues. I don’t suppose there’s any must hold them at arm’s size. I feel on the finish of the day now we have to work collectively. Now we have to construct that belief. F1 is a posh enterprise, as is the automotive world, and you’ll’t get it proper on a regular basis. I feel clearly what’s occurred earlier than – everybody has their views, their opinions.

“From my aspect, possibly issues are a bit completely different now. Possibly Luca has extra direct contact with me and Flavio [Briatore, Alpine’s executive advisor since May 2024]. Possibly the staff has needed to hit a little bit of all-time low to reset. I don’t know. On the finish of the day none of that’s stopping you from making a superb race automotive.”

Pierre Gasly, Alpine A524

Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photos

Oakes is now tackling his first full season on the helm of the Alpine squad and can be forgiven for any sense of trepidation after the outfit modified staff principals in every of the final 4 years.

“Everyone says to me, do you are feeling it like a weight in your shoulders or a stress? And I actually see it otherwise,” the Briton insisted. “There’s no grasp plan. There’s no stuff that’s been mentioned earlier than, ‘100 races’ and all that. We simply need to get higher. Now we have to be a well-run staff.

“And I feel we simply need to concentrate on ourselves. And even with all of the noise concerning the energy unit and all of the discuss promoting and all that form of garbage, I feel individuals have already seen that we’re simply probably not going to be bothered by that anymore. We’re simply going to maintain our heads down.”

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