Jonathan Wheatley has departed Audi with immediate effect amidst speculation he will join Aston Martin.
Wheatley’s move comes less than a year in charge as Team Principal across which he oversaw Nico Hulkenberg’s shock maiden F1 podium at the British Grand Prix plus further points finishes, as well as the switch from Sauber to Audi which was completed at the start of this year.
A team statement confirmed that Wheatley’s exit is down to “personal reasons,” and thanked him “… his contribution to the project and wishes him the best for his future endeavours.”
Audi proceeded to confirm that Mattia Binotto will now combine his role as Head of Audi F1 Project alongside Team Principal duties, as the constructor praised the Italian for his efforts so far in making the team competitive for their F1 debut this season which saw Gabriel Bortoleto finish ninth on the team’s debut in Australia.
“Since joining at the helm of the project in 2024, Mattia has been in charge of the transformation of the team as Audi prepared for and ultimately entered F1 as a chassis and power unit manufacturer.”
Audi proceeded to clarify that the team’s managerial structure is still evolving as they target a title challenge by 2030.
“The team’s future structure will be fully defined at a later stage, as the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving environment of Formula 1. With the unwavering commitment of AUDI AG, Audi Revolut F1 Team will continue progressing towards challenging for championships by 2030.”
Wheatley is now favourite to take the Team Principal position at Aston Martin, which would reunite him with Adrian Newey who is currently in charge, but the ex Red Bull designer is reportedly keen to return to his technical role within the constructor.
Leave a Reply