New details emerge in the story of Whitley's departure from Audi.

      The loud news of last week was the sudden split between Jonathan Wheatley and Audi, regarding which the factory team of the German automotive company only mentioned that it happened "for personal reasons."

      But judging by the rumors that have emerged in the British press, this was not a surprise for everyone: allegedly, Adrian Newey began negotiations with his former colleague from Red Bull Racing back at the end of last year. It is Wheatley whom he considers the most suitable candidate for the position of head of Aston Martin F1, aiming to reorganize the team's structure to fully focus on solving engineering tasks.

      Moreover, Audi's management was aware of the offer received by Wheatley, who, again according to rumors, asked Gernot Döllner, the head of the German company, for the split to go as smoothly as possible.

      As PlanetF1 reports, citing "numerous high-ranking sources," at that time, the now-former head of Audi F1 had neither a formal offer from Aston Martin nor any pre-signed contract, although for a certain period he was secretly negotiating with Lawrence Stroll's team.

      Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that some preliminary agreements between the parties were reached, but they will not be known until Wheatley's fate for the coming months is determined. In any case, he is set to go on a forced "gardening leave" – as it is called in motorsport, a mandatory period during which a former team employee is not allowed to start working elsewhere.

      In the case of a high-level manager privy to all secrets, such leave can last up to a year, but, in theory, this period can be significantly shortened, for example, if the parties agree on a substantial financial compensation.

      There are also rumors that Jonathan Wheatley's services may be of interest to Alpine F1, although the likelihood of such a scenario is clearly lower. Allegedly, the factory team of the Renault group is also keen to strengthen its management, which is why they attempted to lure chief designer Rob Marshall from McLaren, but he declined the offer made to him.

      Against this backdrop, rumors have intensified that Christian Horner may take Wheatley's place at Audi F1, although there is no confirmation of this. Rather, such discussions are related to the fact that the board of directors of Volkswagen Group knows the former head of Red Bull Racing, as he once negotiated a possible joint engine project with Porsche, which was never realized.

      However, there is another version, according to which Stroll is ready to invite Horner to his team, including offering him a stake in Aston Martin F1, which could interest Christian – especially if his chances of acquiring a share in Alpine F1 sharply decrease. And this could very well happen, as now American billionaire Steve Cohen is vying for a stake in this team, which will be difficult for Horner to compete with, even if he has the support of serious investors.

      Moreover, it should not be ruled out that Stroll Sr. may want to invite both Horner and Wheatley to the team, as they worked very effectively in Red Bull Racing together with Newey during the times when that team was winning races and championships.