Second head rolls as ‘criminal’ takes over after Jack Doohan sacking

There has been more carnage just days after Jack Doohan’s reported sacking with a “convicted criminal” taking over the basket case team.

A second head has rolled at Alpine just 24 hours after reports first emerged Jack Doohan is set to be given the chop at the basket case F1 team.

It was reported on Tuesday the Aussie driver has already been told he will be replaced before the next race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, beginning May 16.

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The team has not made any public comment about the swirling reports that the 22-year-old will be demoted in order for the team to promote reserve driver Franco Colapinto.

Rumours of Alpine’s plan to axe the Australian have spread since the Australian Grand Prix after Colapinto made the curious move from Williams to take a reserve role with the French team.

Alpine have been widely criticised for its handling of the farcical situation and it appears it has cost team principal Oliver Oakes his job.

The team announced on Wednesday morning Oakes has resigned after less than a year in the job.

“The team has accepted his resignation with immediate effect,” Alpine said in a statement.

The 37-year-old Briton’s surprise exit comes only nine months since his appointment as successor to Frenchman Bruno Famin.

Jack Doohan walks in the paddock with his father, Mick Doohan. Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images.

“As of today, Flavio Briatore will continue as executive advisor and will also be covering the duties previously performed by Oliver Oakes,” the team statement added.

Briatore is an infamous figure in the sport and the sight of him taking power at the team will not sit well with all F1 commentators.

Briatore, who oversaw multiple world titles for Benetton in the 1990s and Renault in the mid-2000s, was the dominant figure of the “Crashgate” scandal which saw his driver Nelson Piquet intentionally crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to help Renault teammate Fernando Alonso win the race.

He was at the time given a lifetime ban by the FIA, Formula 1’s governing body, for the incident. That ban was eventually overturned in a French court.

He has also previously been convicted of crimes, including fraudulent bankruptcy and tax evasion.

Wednesday’s announcement makes him the new top dog at Alpine — if he wasn’t already the dominant figure pulling the strings secretly from an arm-length away.

Oakes leaves his role with Alpine sitting ninth of the 10 teams in the constructors’ world championship after six races.

“The team would like to thank Oliver for his efforts since he joined last summer and for his contribution in helping the team secure sixth place in the 2024 constructors’ championship.

“The team will not be making any further comment,” Alpine said.

Briatore made headlines earlier this year when he bluntly said Doohan would only have a handful of races to impress.

A scene in the latest instalment of Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary depicts an ominous discussion between Doohan and Briatore as the Italian makes it clear in no uncertain terms where the Aussie stands.

The veteran Italian boss tells Doohan in a meeting: “I control you every millimetre.”

F1 paddock insider Michael Schmidt said Briatore won’t be too patient with Doohan, giving him just the first three races in Australia, China and Japan to make his mark.

Flavio Briatore. AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis.

Team bosses Toto Wolff, Oliver Oakes (centre) and Christian Horner. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell.

“He (Briatore) has two very good reserve drivers in Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron and Colapinto might also bring him a bit of sponsorship money,” Schmidt told the Auto Motor und Sport YouTube channel.

In an extraordinary twist, Code Sports reports Briatore acts as Doohan’s manager.

Doohan has not scored a championship point for the team and French teammate Pierre Gasly has only scored seven points in six races and two sprint races this year.

Doohan replaced Esteban Ocon, who claimed Alpine’s sole win, in Hungary in 2021.

Oakes’ unexpected departure is the latest chapter in a rocky time for the former Renault team.

He told AFP last November he wanted Alpine to shrug off their problems and be at “the front” of the midfield this season.

He said there were “no silver bullet”.

“I think we ultimately have to produce a better car,” the former racing driver conceded.

Next season Renault are to stop producing F1 engines, with Alpine becoming a customer outfit for the first time since 2015, using engines supplied by Mercedes.

Oakes, the 2005 world karting champion, succeeded Famin in 2024, a month after the appointment of one of F1’s most controversial figures, 74-year-old Briatore.

Among the team’s many investors are golf superstar Rory McIlroy, former heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua and actor Ryan Reynolds, part owner of Welsh football club Wrexham, promoted to the English Championship last month.

They will all be counting on the grid strugglers emerging from this period of turbulence to fulfil Oakes’ wish of a brighter future.

It will be a bumpy road ahead for the team in coming weeks with Doohan’s axing yet to be confirmed.

Doohan had a turbulent weekend in Florida after his team botched its strategy during qualifying for Sunday’s sprint race.

The Aussie driver was livid after a pit lane blunder saw him eliminated in the opening qualifying session. He had been caught in a queue in the pit lane and was not able to get back on track for a final flying lap before the session ended.

Doohan gave his team a serve on radio — and was seen continuing to rant as he walked along the pit lane after the session.

“That’s not acceptable,” he fumed over team radio. “If you’re going to send him [Gasly] before me, you have to make sure he’s ready.

“I can’t turn out and have to turn in because he’s going to turn into me.

“Then you put me out in Q1. That’s a joke.”

His pit wall engineer responded on the team radio with a sheepish “sorry”.

The BBC on Tuesday reported Doohan is expected to remain in a role with the team — despite losing his seat.

— with AFP

Originally published as Second head rolls as ‘criminal’ takes over after Jack Doohan sacking