Jonathan Wheatley, the charismatic and always-upbeat Brit who left Red Bull Racing to become Audi’s first-ever Formula 1 team principal, is no longer. The cause for the split was simply cited as “personal reasons.”
Rumors of Wheatley jumping ship to Aston Martin after Adrian Newey was expected to step down as team principal circulated on Thursday, though the team didn’t officially confirm his departure until Friday.
“We are grateful to Jonathan Wheatley for his contribution to the project during the crucial entry phase and wish him all the best for the future,” said Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG, in a press release. “Mattia Binotto and the team will continue to pursue the path we have chosen with determination.”
Mattia Binotto, to whom Wheatley originally reported, will assume the role immediately and play the part as the team heads to the Japanese Grand Prix next week.
This is a shocking development that will undoubtedly have long-term repercussions not just for Audi but also across the paddock. The German/Swiss outfit will have to shuffle personnel around, unless Binotto plans to remain as team principal long term. Even then, chances are someone else will need to fulfill the duties he performed in the team principal role. It’s a similar situation at Aston.
Will Wheatley bring others from Audi or Red Bull with him? That’ll be interesting to see.
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