F1 News: Oliver Oakes resigned from Alpine after brother arrested

Oliver Oakes abruptly resigned from his role as team principal of Alpine after the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday for personal reasons, and now we know why.

Oakes, who is British, resigned just days after his brother was arrested while carrying a large amount of cash.

Oakes, who also owns British motor racing team Hitech Grand Prix, offered his resignation following his brother’s arrest.  The Telegraph report that William Oakes, also British, was apprehended in the Silverstone Park in England area last Thursday.

William, 31, is listed as a director of Hitech on Companies House. He was charged with ‘transferring criminal property’ and has been remanded in custody. Police say that he was in possession of a large amount of cash when the arrest was made.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “William Oakes, 31, of Rugby was charged with transferring criminal property on Friday, May 2 after he was stopped in the Silverstone Park area in Northamptonshire on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in possession of a large amount of cash. He appeared before Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, May 3, and remanded in custody.”

Oliver Oakes, who was in Florida preparing for the weekend’s racing at the time of William’s arrest, declined to comment when approached by the Telegraph.

Oakes spoke at a team principals’ press conference alongside Red Bull’s Christian Horner and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff on Friday.

His whereabouts are currently unknown, although he’s understood to have flown to Dubai following the Grand Prix.

Why Dubai?  Is he implicated with his brother, and he is fleeing rather than going to England to help his brother? Why resign just because his brother was arrested?  There is likely more to this story.