Red Bull director to become principal of Audi F1 team

Red Bull’s long-serving sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will leave the Formula One champions at the end of the season to become Audi team principal next year, both sides said on Thursday.

Audi, who are turning Swiss-based Sauber into the German manufacturer’s factory team from 2026, said he would start by July next year at the latest.

Red Bull said Wheatley would serve a period of “gardening leave” after the end of the 2024 season, without giving details. Wheatley helped Red Bull to six world constructors’ titles and seven world drivers’ championships in his 18 years with that team.

“Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this (departure) provides opportunity to elevate others within the team,” said team boss Christian Horner. “We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks.”

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto joined Audi on Thursday to lead the Formula One project, with previous bosses Oliver Hoffmann and Andreas Seidl departing. Audi said Binotto, whose formal title is chief operating and chief technical officer at Sauber Motorsport, and Wheatley would take joint responsibility for the team with clearly defined roles.

The carmaker’s CEO Gernot Doellner hailed a “decisive step” towards the team’s entry: “I am convinced that, with the two of them, we have been able to combine an extremely high level of competence for Audi. Their experience and their ability will help us to get a foothold quickly in the tough competitive world of Formula One.”

Wheatley will focus on racing performance and operational management of all race events, as well as representing Audi at team principal level, while Binotto will be the link between the Hinwil factory and Audi’s engine plant in Germany.

“I have known Jonathan for many years and rate him highly as an experienced and committed motorsport expert,” said Binotto. “I’m looking forward to setting up the new racing team for Audi along with Jonathan and leading it to success.”

His departure comes after Red Bull’s technical head Adrian Newey, the sport’s most highly regarded and sought after designer, announced in May that he would be leaving in the first quarter of 2025.

That followed allegations about Horner that dominated the early part of the season. Horner was cleared in February of alleged misconduct, which he denied, towards a female employee who lodged an appeal against the outcome.

Red Bull are also ending their partnership with Honda at the end of next season and making their own engine with backing from Ford when the sport starts a new power unit era in 2026.

The Milton Keynes-based team are leading both championships after 14 races, with Max Verstappen well on his way to his fourth title.