Oliver Oaks resigned from his position as Alpine’s team principal a few days after his brother and fellow High Tech Grand Prix manager William were arrested in the UK.
William Oaks is listed as director of the racing team Hitec Grand Prix for the application form for the British company home, which he holds along with his brother Oliver, who resigned from Alpine on Tuesday. Telegraph first reported that a young Oaks was arrested on Friday, May 2nd in the Silverstone Park area where the High Tech team is based, four days before Oliver was immediately effective.
“Rugby’s William Oaks, 31, was accused of transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after being suspended in the Silverstone Park area of Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman told the Telegraph. “He appeared in the courtroom of Northampton Magistrates on Saturday, May 3rd and was taken into custody.”
Oliver Oaks’ resignation from Alpine was described as a “personal decision” in a joint statement alongside Flavio Bryator, who was attempting to dismiss the assumption that it was related to differences in opinion over a change in the team’s driver lineup. Franco Colapinto was confirmed in place of Jacques Dohan in the next five races within 24 hours of the Oaks’ resignation.
“It has been said that a lot of things have been mislinked in the last 24 hours to the decision to resign to doubting the OLI. “This is completely wrong and far from the truth.”
“I and Ori had a very good relationship and had long-term ambitions to move this team forward together. We respected Ori’s request to resign and therefore accepted his resignation. The reason is not related to the team, it’s a personal nature.”
Oakes’ Hitech team was previously majority owned by Dmitry Mazepin, but 75% of the shares were held via Bergton Management Limited, but these shares were abandoned by Oliver Oakes in February 2022. Meanwhile, Oakes was less than two weeks after the Russian invasion, with the ukrain invasion being involved in Oligapin.
The new company, Hitech Grand Prix Holdings, was created to control the stock a month later, but Oakes regained full shareholdings from the company just before being confirmed as principal of the Alpine team in July 2024.