Oakes: No 'silver bullet' to help Alpine in tight F1 midfield battle
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As the Formula 1 season enters its final stretch, Alpine's team principal Oliver Oakes has dampened hopes that a "silver bullet" solution will dramatically change the team's fortunes in its tight midfield battle.
Despite the Enstone squad's recent strides forward, Oakes insists there is no one-size-fits-all answer to gaining an edge, stressing instead the importance of maximizing every element of race weekend execution.
Alpine currently sits ninth in the Constructors' Championship with 16 points, just 3 points in the wake of Williams and 18 points behind Haas.
Both teams have been Alpine's main competitors this season out on the track, with very small performance gains separating the trio.
Oakes, who assumed his role as team principal of Alpine at this years' Dutch Grand Prix, acknowledged the closeness of the midfield and how even upgrades worth a tenth of a second can have a profound impact on race results.
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However, the Briton remains cautious about over-relying on technical updates, especially given the mixed success of upgrades throughout the season.
"Being in F1 now, rather than on the outside, you read that, and then you're in it, and you go, 'it's really tight'," Oakes told the media in Singapore recently.
Oakes believes that while upgrades are valuable, their effectiveness is heavily dependent on a variety of factors—including track characteristics and setup optimization.
"I sort of beg to differ slightly that the upgrades are important," he added.
"But I think there's a real distinguishment at the moment, if actually they work when they come to the track, and also the types of tracks we've got left on the calendar, how valuable certain upgrades would be.
"And there's an argument to say there's more to be extracted from the characteristics of those tracks, the tyres, the approach, than just a pure upgrade."
The Alpine team boss also emphasized the importance of refining the overall weekend package, including set-up and race strategy, given the tight nature of the midfield competition.
Even the smallest misstep can have large consequences, as teams have experienced performance drops after misapplying new parts.
Oakes pointed to Alpine's strong weekend at Zandvoort, where Pierre Gasly delivered a competitive performance to finish ninth, as proof that proper execution can outweigh hardware changes.
"So I'm sort of pretty pragmatic, but there's going to be no silver bullets," insisted the 36-year-old. "We've just got to keep working hard.
"And I think my first weekend in Zandvoort really sort of highlighted that for me, actually, that it isn't just sort of upgrades and updates, it's executing a really good weekend.
"And I think, there was sort of proof in that vision."
While the temptation to seek a game-changing solution is ever-present, Oakes' clear message is that consistency, preparation, and flawless execution will ultimately determine the team's fate in the remaining races.
As the season draws to a close, Alpine will be focused on getting the most out of every session rather than banking on a magical fix.
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