Oliver Oakes founded Hitech GP 10 years ago and did a tremendous job growing the racing team through several junior categories. The former driver succeeded in Formula 3 and Formula 2, and his team even saw George Russell finish P3 in the 2016 Formula 3 championship.
Oakes worked his way up and eventually took majority ownership from Dmitry Mazepin due to sanctions by the UK and EU, given the Russian businessman’s ties to Vladimir Putin. From 2022 to mid-2024, the 37-year-old led Hitech GP as team principal until he was chosen to take over the role at Alpine.
His job appeared to be safe coming into the 2025 season until he resigned in a rather shocking fashion. At first, the belief was that Oakes opposed Flavio Briatore on the fate of Jack Doohan. However, reports revealed that William Oakes was arrested near Hitech GP’s factory with a large sum of cash. The arrest appears to be connected to the company’s takeover of shares formerly owned by Mazepin.
Oakes’ resignation brings suspicions
As soon as the Miami Grand Prix weekend had concluded, Oliver Oakes immediately flew to Dubai. The former team boss could be taking sanctuary in the UAE as this situation continues.
Considering the fact that he essentially fled the situation, he likely does know something that may negatively implicate himself. While it is unclear whether Oakes is tied to his brother’s arrest, it remains a possibility.
In terms of his future in Formula 1, an existing connection to Mazepin could result in him being hit with the same punishment as the Russian oligarch. If Oakes knowingly allowed Mazepin to be involved in Hitech GP operations after the sanctioning, he may never enter another Formula 1 paddock.
This news also comes just a few months after Mazepin was spotted in the Alpine garage during preseason testing in Bahrain, further adding to the suspicions.
While this may not be something the FIA directly investigates, the result of an external investigation could be used to determine the fate of Oakes. The future of Hitech GP could also be in the air, given its funding connection to Mazepin. In such a bizarre situation, it should be interesting to see how everything unfolds.