Jonathan Wheatley leaves Audi with immediate effect

Jonathan Wheatley is to depart his role as Audi team boss in a bombshell announcement made by the German manufacturer.

After days of speculation about his future, Audi has confirmed that Jonathan Wheatley is to vacate his role as team boss amid a departure from the squad after just a year.

Jonathan Wheatley to leave Audi role

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Jonathan Wheatley is to leave the Audi F1 team, just a year after arriving at the former Sauber squad to help lead the transition as Audi’s takeover of the Swiss squad was carried out.

His move to become a team principal came after hitting a glass ceiling in his role as sporting director at Red Bull, with no room for career upward mobility given Christian Horner’s then-long-standing tenure as team principal and CEO.

Wheatley has enjoyed success in the role as Sauber climbed from the back of the grid to become a regular points-scorer, as well as overseeing Nico Hulkenberg’s maiden podium, while the Audi project has hit the ground running solidly in the midfield.

But Audi has confirmed that Wheatley’s journey with the team has come to an unexpectedly premature end.

“As it continues its journey towards the front of the grid, Audi Revolut F1 Team will implement significant changes to its senior management structure,” read a statement.

“Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect. The team thanks Jonathan for his contribution to the project and wishes him the best for his future endeavours.

“Mattia Binotto, Head of Audi F1 Project, will continue leading the team while taking over additional responsibilities as Team Principal.

“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.

“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 One. With the unwavering commitment of Audi AG, Audi Revolut F1 Team will continue progressing towards challenging for championships by 2030.”

It’s also emerged that the working relationship between Wheatley and Binotto has been fraught with friction, with one senior source commenting on the “strained dynamic” between the two top leaders at Audi, while another has suggested that the situation became overtly political and tense between the pair.

Wheatley’s departure is the latest in an increasing line of Audi management overhauls, following on from Binotto’s arrival usurping Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann in 2024, while the appointment of Christian Foyer last year succeeded former engine lead Adam Baker.

As things stand, Wheatley is leaving without a confirmed destination.

PlanetF1.com understands that Wheatley has been identified by Adrian Newey as a primary target to step into the role currently occupied by the legendary car designer, and that the claimed personal reasons are accurate.

But it’s believed that, as of Thursday this week, a formal offer has not yet been extended to Wheatley by Aston Martin, but the British engineer indicated his amenability to a switch due to personal life circumstances that could make a return to the UK more tempting.

Aston Martin is not expected to announce Wheatley as arriving at the Silverstone-based squad any time soon, meaning his future plans are unclear.

Lawrence Stroll’s team is still the most likely destination for Wheatley, given Newey is known to hold his former Red Bull colleague in high regard as he seeks the right long-term appointment to work alongside him in his own role as managing technical partner, but it appears negotiations to bring Wheatley onboard are yet to conclude and, with his time at Audi now ending, his bargaining power could have been weakened.

Wheatley will now face a period of gardening leave before he can take on a role with a new team, as is standard practice when top-level staff members depart their roles. This period is usually somewhere between six months and a year, but can be shortened, if agreed with the previous employer, by way of a financial settlement.

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