Jonathan Whitley has a conflict with Mattia Binotto.

Jonathan Whitley has a conflict with Mattia Binotto.

      The name Jonathan Wheatley has been making headlines in the racing press lately. The head of the Audi team is considered one of the main contenders to replace Adrian Newey as the head of Aston Martin, although the British team denies this.

      Jonathan Wheatley only took over the Audi team last year, but what has prompted him to consider a job change so soon? According to the German publication Bild, there are several reasons for this.

      Firstly, Wheatley's family, who moved with him to Switzerland, wants to return home to the UK, and a transition to Aston Martin, whose base is located in Silverstone, would allow Jonathan to fulfill his family's wishes.

      The second reason is believed to be more significant and relates to a conflict between Wheatley and Audi's Formula 1 project leader Mattia Binotto. In fact, Audi currently has two leaders – Wheatley is responsible for the on-track operations, while Binotto oversees development and overall strategy. It has been reported that Wheatley and Binotto have already had disagreements on various issues.

      According to Bild, Jonathan Wheatley will soon meet with Audi's CEO Gernot Döllner to discuss his future with the team.

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Jonathan Whitley has a conflict with Mattia Binotto.

The name Jonathan Wheatley has been making headlines in the racing press in recent days. The head of the Audi team is considered almost the main contender to replace Adrian Newey as the head of Aston Martin, although the British team denies this.