In recent years, the Hitech Grand Prix team have been successful in a range of championships on the road to Formula 1.
The British outfit have competitive teams in a range of series, from British F4 and GB3 to Formula 2, where drivers are beginning to knock on the door of F1.
This multitude of teams along the ladder towards the highest level provides drivers with a clearer career pathway, as they could stay with Hitech for multiple seasons.
They have been successful this year, leading Deagen Fairclough to the championship in British F4. Hitech have also been competitive further up the ladder in F2 with Paul Aron.
But Oliver Oakes left Hitech earlier this season to join the Alpine Formula 1 team and the Briton has told RacingNews365 the key reason why he made the move now.
Oliver Oakes left Hitech and joined Alpine in Formula 1 because he felt it was the ‘right timing’
Oakes has had a lot of success since founding the team in 2002, aiding George Russell and Alex Palou on their pathways to Formula 1 and IndyCar.
The 36-year-old has built a lot of experience in junior championships, and is now the youngest team principal in F1.
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He explained that the Alpine job has come at the right time in his career as he looks to progress and establish himself at the top level.
Oakes said: “The last 18 months, two years, different opportunities reared their head. This one [Alpine], I just felt was right.
“Right timing in that my Hitech team was very strong, very stable. The leadership team there knows what they’re doing.
“And the fact that Enstone is a great place, and being able to, dare I say, turn something around with the right support behind you is also important.”
Hitech should continue to progress without Oliver Oakes
Hitech have been very successful in the championships below Formula 1 and have continued to win titles without Oakes.
Fairclough’s dominant season in British F4 showed that Oakes isn’t the sole reason for Hitech’s success and they should continue competing at the front.
Formula 2 has been a mixed season for the British team, Aron’s F2 title challenge has faltered despite him feeling confident in his pure pace.
Next season could be another strong season for Hitech, and they will have the highly rated Martinius Stenshorne in FIA F3 as well as Gerrard Xie, who is moving up from GB3.