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William Oakes, brother of former Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes, is set to face court in April 2027. William is embroiled in a criminal case for possession of large amounts of illicit money. The case came to light shortly after Oliver Oakes resigned from Alpine. The Brit took over from Bruno Famin in July 2024, becoming yet another team boss to leave the team after a short period.
Oliver Oakes stepped down as team boss of Alpine after the Miami Grand Prix. Shortly thereafter, his brother William was charged with ‘transferring criminal assets’. On the Thursday preceding the race weekend in Florida, he was arrested with large amounts of cash on hand – 831,885 British pounds, 46,120 euros, and 10,000 US dollars. Oliver subsequently skipped his media obligations on Sunday and announced two days later that he was stepping down from his position at Alpine.
William Oakes has since appeared twice before the Northampton Crown Court, where he pleaded not guilty and requested bail. Judge Adrienne Lucking agreed, and the trial has been set for April 2027. Interestingly, William Oakes recently also stepped down as director of Hitech Grand Prix. Until recently, he – along with his brother – co-owned the British racing team, which competes in Formula 2 and Formula 3, among others. Meanwhile, top advisor Flavio Briatore is pulling the strings at Alpine.
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