Scandal in Formula 1, team principal resigns and disappears in Dubai. A car trunk full of money and Putin's shadow in the background

The Alpine Formula 1 team has undergone a major change this week. Team principal Oliver Oakes, 37, resigned from his position on Tuesday, making way for Italian Flavio Briatore.

Oakes was in Miami for the weekend's race, but then came the unexpected decision. For others, but not for the Formula 1 world, as it seemed everyone was convinced it would happen very soon. The reason is a story worthy of spy movies.

The British newspaper The Telegraph reports that his brother, William, was arrested on May 2 in the Silverstone area, where the famous motor racing track is located. Police had charged him with money laundering for criminal activities, after he was found with large amounts of the drug in the trunk of his car.

The problem? William Oakes is the co-owner of Hitachi Grand Prix, the racing team owned by Oliver, a former Formula 1 driver who cited “personal reasons” for his decision. He bought Hitachi Racing in 2015 and raced in Formula 3 with drivers such as Nikita Mazepin and George Russell. In 2020, Hitachi GP raced in Formula 2 with Mazepin as a driver. At the time, the team was 75% owned by Nikita’s father, Dmitry Mazepin, who is a close confidant of Vladimir Putin.

Nine days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Oakes took full ownership of the team, buying out Mazepin's shares just three days before Britain imposed sanctions on all those close to Putin. A move that was also mentioned in the British parliament.

At the moment there is no statement or information about Oliver's direct connection to his brother's arrest. But it is a fact that Oliver traveled to Dubai after the race in Miami, and since then, no one has heard anything about him.

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