Jonathan Wheatley Exits Audi F1 Team After Just 2 Races
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Jonathan Wheatley, the charismatic and perpetually positive British figure who departed Red Bull Racing to become Audi’s inaugural Formula 1 team principal, is no longer with the team. His exit has been attributed to “personal reasons.”
Speculation arose on Thursday regarding Wheatley potentially moving to Aston Martin following expectations that Adrian Newey would step down as team principal, although the team only confirmed his departure on Friday.
“We are thankful to Jonathan Wheatley for his contributions during this critical entry phase and wish him nothing but the best for his future endeavors,” stated Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG, in a press release. “Mattia Binotto and the team will persistently follow the path we have chosen.”
Mattia Binotto, Wheatley’s original supervisor, will take over the role immediately as the team prepares for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix next week.
This unexpected turn of events will likely have lasting implications, not just for Audi but also within the paddock. The German/Swiss team will need to rearrange its personnel, unless Binotto intends to stay in the team principal position for the long haul. Even in that scenario, it’s likely that someone else will need to take on the responsibilities he previously held. A similar situation exists at Aston.
Will Wheatley recruit others from Audi or Red Bull to join him? That remains to be seen.
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Aston Martin has not made an official announcement yet, but it is believed that Wheatley will take over from Adrian Newey as team principal.