Architect of Max Verstappen’s Dominance Jumps Ship for Team Principal Role at Audi

Audi has been on the lookout for a team boss as it prepares to enter Formula 1 as a works outfit in 2026. And now they have finally found one. Jonathan Wheatley, the Sporting Director of Red Bull Racing, is set to join Audi as their Team Principal starting in 2026.

Wheatley has been an important figure at Red Bull since 2005, playing a crucial role in the team’s success, including the recent domination of Max Verstappen. His responsibilities include overseeing race strategies, managing the team’s personnel, and ensuring that all aspects of the racing operations run smoothly.

Wheatley has held several significant positions at Red Bull Racing throughout his career. He started as the Head of Race Operations, ensuring that all logistical and operational aspects of race weekends were executed smoothly. This included managing the team’s resources and personnel on-site during races.

He was promoted to the role of Sporting Director in 2018 and has held the position since. His leadership has been crucial in optimizing Red Bull’s pit stop strategies and enhancing the team’s performance during races.

Wheatley also worked closely with Sebastian Vettel during the German’s championship years at Red Bull. Audi has been ramping up its efforts to hire key personnel from various teams before their first championship campaign begins in 2026.

And with Wheatley as their team principal, Audi has taken a significant step in ensuring they are on top of their game from the very start.

Other key changes from Audi as it prepares to enter Formula 1

The signing of Wheatley is one of many changes Audi has recently made after taking over Sauber. The other significant personnel change that Audi made was to sign former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.

Binotto will officially join Audi on August 1, 2024, and will assume the roles of chief operating officer and chief technical officer at Sauber before the team transitions to the Audi factory team. His appointment came at the cost of current team bosses Oliver Hoffmann and Andreas Seidl, who are set to depart from the team in August.

However, there remains one big thorn in Audi’s aspirations. Despite the big name, racing history, and key hirings they have made, the German manufacturer could not convince Carlos Sainz to join them in 2025. Sainz’s reluctance to join Sauber/Audi seems to suggest that he does not see their project as something that will get off to a good start.