With Formula 1 pausing for a rare weekend off, the paddock is nonetheless rife with speculation about the futures of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and Alpine's recently departed boss Oliver Oakes.
Oakes' sudden resignation from Alpine this week triggered immediate rumours that he might be in line to replace Horner at Red Bull. The story gained traction in Osterreich, a newspaper closely linked to Red Bull's F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko, who was central to the team's leadership turmoil in 2024.
"An absolute bombshell is looming in Formula 1," Osterreich reported. "Red Bull could part ways with team boss Christian Horner after the race in Imola."
Italy's leading daily, Corriere della Sera, fuelled the narrative, stating of Oakes: "Rumours say he could be Christian Horner's heir at Red Bull, should Max Verstappen's team boss fall out during this season or after."
Concurrently, an alternative theory emerged suggesting Oakes may have suddenly relocated to Dubai.
Alongside his brother William, Oakes was a key figure at the Hitech Formula 2 team, which had past ties to Dmitry and Nikita Mazepin.
Adding to the intrigue, The Telegraph (UK) and AP news agency (USA) reported that British police have charged William Oakes with transferring criminal property, allegedly found near Silverstone "in possession of a large amount of cash".
William is currently in custody, and Hitech has yet to respond to requests for comment.
A day after Oakes' exit, speculation surfaced about a possible clash with Alpine advisor and interim team principal Flavio Briatore over the decision to replace Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto.
German journalist Ralf Bach told Auto Bild on Wednesday: "Oakes wanted to give Doohan more time and wasn't a fan of Colapinto. He took on Briatore - and lost. Before the Italian threw him out, he decided to pull the plug and quit."
Both parties have denied these claims. "Me and Oli have a very good relationship," Briatore insisted, "and had long-term ambitions to drive this team forward together."
Oakes echoed this, stating: "It is a personal decision for me to step down. Flavio has been like a father to me - nothing but supportive since I took the role, as well as giving me the opportunity."
