Audi boss Jonathan Wheatley is leaving the German manufacturer with immediate effect following interest from Aston Martin for a new team principal.
Wheatley only joined Sauber, which was acquired by Audi 12 months ago after leaving Red Bull as sporting director at the end of 2024, but is currently based at Audi’s Swiss factory and Sky Sports News understands he wants to return to the UK.
Audi cited “personal reasons” as the reason for Wheatley’s sudden departure, even though the team remained firmly in the middle of the field despite Gabriel Bortleto and Nico Hulkenberg missing one race each due to car problems at the start of the 2026 F1 season.
If Wheatley joins Aston Martin as team principal, Adrian Newey will be able to focus on developing the car after a poor start to the season at Aston Martin.
Aston Martin co-owner Lawrence Stroll issued an unusual statement on Friday in support of Newey, but also revealed that the team is “regularly approached by senior executives from other teams who wish to join” Aston Martin.
Former Ferrari manager Mattia Binotto will take over Wheatley’s responsibilities as the new team principal ahead of next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.
Binotto, who has primarily overseen Audi’s engine program in Germany, has been working at Audi since 2024 as head of the Audi F1 project.
Mattia Binotto is best known for being Ferrari team principal from 2019 to 2022.
Audi finished eighth in the constructors’ championship after two races of the new season, while Bortleto finished ninth in the Australian Grand Prix.
Poor reliability has also plagued Audi, and has been the highlight of the season so far, but after showing glimpses of good pace in Melbourne with both Bortleto and Hulkenberg finishing in the top 11, Bortleto did not start in a tricky sprint weekend in Shanghai.
Audi is in its first season since taking over Sauber earlier this year.
Who is Jonathan Wheatley?
Wheatley has been involved in F1 for more than 30 years, starting his career as a mechanic at Benetton when Michael Schumacher won back-to-back drivers’ titles in 1994 and 1995.
Wheatley was chief mechanic when the team became Renault in 2002, and worked with Fernando Alonso in 2005 when they won the championship.
He joined Red Bull as team manager in 2006 and became sporting director in 2018, playing a key role in a team known for quick pit stops and bold strategic choices.
Jonathan Wheatley’s departure from Audi after less than a year is surprising
Wheatley is perhaps best known for making radio calls to race director Michael Masi throughout the controversial 2021 season, which resulted in Verstappen winning on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
During the year, the team was able to communicate with Masi, and Wheatley could often be heard lobbying for Red Bull and using sporting regulations to the team’s advantage.
Wheatley helped win six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ titles with Red Bull before joining Sauber in April 2025, before the team was taken over by Audi in 2026.
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