Moving to car racing in 2006, Oakes debuted in Formula BMW with Carlin Motorsport, where he immediately proved his natural driving ability by taking pole and the victory in his first ever race in the series. Further claiming 3 podiums and a string of strong results, he finished the season in 6th overall in the Formula BMW UK Championship after missing several rounds due to European commitments for Redbull. His promising talent saw him nominated for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Award.