Alpine boss Oakes has Red Bull as a reference point

LONDON : Oliver Oakes and Christian Horner were the Formula One bosses with most to celebrate after last Sunday's Sao Paulo Grand Prix and while poles apart in terms of success they have much in common.

Alpine's Oakes, the newest and youngest principal in the paddock at 36, has followed a remarkably similar career path to Red Bull's Horner, now 50 but the youngest boss in the sport's history when he arrived some 20 years ago.

The 2005 karting world champion, ex-Red Bull junior driver and founder of Hitech GP in F2 and F3, Oakes was appointed by Alpine's owners Renault in July to sort out their struggling team.

Horner, who turned to management with Arden International when his junior career ran out of road, arrived at Red Bull after they bought Jaguar from Ford and he was tasked with turning them into winners.

Both Britons had previously tried to secure Formula One teams of their own.

"I think it sort of only dawned on me really taking this role, some of those similarities," Oakes, who was backed by Red Bull at the same time as now-retired four-times F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, told Reuters before the Brazil weekend.

"I guess it's something to aspire to as well in terms of what they (Red Bull) have achieved."

Sunday was Oakes' first F1 podium as boss and it came in a race won by Red Bull (Max Verstappen).

Horner's first podium was in a 2006 race won by Renault (Fernando Alonso).

Both principals have worked closely with Red Bull's Helmut Marko, now 81, who oversees the junior driver programme. Oakes still speaks to him regularly.

"That's more friendship as well as things to do with the day job. He's been a big mentor to me over the years, carrot and stick approach of Helmut as everyone knows. But he's phenomenal," he said.

"That