According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police, 31-year-old William Oakes was charged last Friday. This followed an incident the previous day where he was stopped by authorities in the Silverstone Park area and found to be "in possession of a large amount of cash."
Police further stated that William Oakes was remanded in custody following his appearance before the Northampton Magistrates’ Court on Saturday. As of now, information regarding his legal representation has not been disclosed.
Oliver Oakes' move to Alpine came after his tenure at Hitech Grand Prix, his junior racing team, where William Oakes was also listed as a director. Hitech Grand Prix has not yet issued a public comment on the matter.
Oliver Oakes, who is not implicated in any wrongdoing, had served as Alpine's team principal for under a year. His resignation was officially announced on Tuesday.
The following day, Alpine confirmed a change in their driver lineup. Franco Colapinto has been promoted and is set to race for the team for at least the next five Grand Prix events. This driver change comes at the expense of Jack Doohan.
Currently, after six rounds of the Formula 1 season, Alpine holds the ninth position in the constructors’ standings. The next race weekend is scheduled for May 16-18 at Imola.