Red Bull Sporting Director Leaving to Take Team Principal Job at Audi F1 Team

Long-time Red Bull Racing sporting Dsrector Jonathan Wheatley is to leave the team at the end of the campaign and take up the position of Audi’s Formula 1 team principal.

Wheatley, 57, has been a key player within Red Bull’s senior management structure throughout its two title-winning eras in Formula 1.

Having started as a mechanic at Benetton, Wheatley rose through the ranks to become Renault’s chief mechanic, opting to leave in 2006 to join Red Bull as its team manager. Wheatley’s role evolved throughout the years and he has emerged as one of the most effective Sporting Directors in Formula 1, particularly in its 2021 title fight, and is a hugely respected figure within the paddock.

“It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. “His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championship, first as team manager and latterly sporting director will forever be a marker in our team history.”

Wheatley will remain in his position through the rest of the 2024 season and will undertake a period of gardening leave in 2025.

Red Bull confirmed in a statement that a new team structure will be announced in the coming weeks.

Wheatley will be the second major player at Red Bull to leave the team following the news earlier in the year that chief technical officer Adrian Newey is departing after almost two decades.

“I am delighted that we have been able to gain Jonathan Wheatley as team principal for our future Formula 1 team,” says Gernot Döllner, CEO of Audi AG. “Jonathan has played a major part in many Formula 1 race victories and World Championship titles in his Formula 1 career so far, and has extensive experience in the paddock. He is a very valuable addition to our team.“

Audi is in the process of preparing for its Formula 1 entry in 2026, when new chassis and engine regulations will be introduced. Audi completed its full takeover of Sauber earlier in 2024, in a bid to accelerate its preparations, ahead of its formal transformation for 2026.

The company undertook a managerial change last week with Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann departing their respective roles as Sauber’s CEO and head of the Board of Directors respectively.

Ex-Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has been hired as chief operating and chief technical officer at Sauber Motorsport, effectively overseeing the entire Audi F1 project, and Wheatley has now been recruited in the dedicated team principal role.

Under its current Sauber banner, the team has endured a dismal campaign and is last in the Constructors’ championship without a point.