The team principal situation at Aston Martin and Audi has evolved with new, incredible reports from England, shedding light on the whirlwind of personnel moves shaking up Formula 1.
Rumors coming out of England about the intricate dynamics between team principals at Aston Martin and Audi delve deeper into this sensational story that is dominating the F1 headlines ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Aston Martin reportedly made a concrete offer to Jonathan Wheatley to leave Audi and join the Silverstone-based team. The parties are still negotiating, and an official signing has not yet taken place.
The gardening leave issue
The British team has confirmed that Adrian Newey has made no step back and will continue in his dual role as team principal and managing technical partner.
However, this is most likely a temporary situation dictated by the technical timing of the negotiations with Wheatley.
The issue is not related to the agreement itself, but rather to Wheatley taking up the new role, as he would have to observe a period of gardening leave.
Past precedents are clear: when he left Red Bull on August 1, 2024, Wheatley continued working there until the end of the season and officially assumed the role of Audi team principal only on April 1, 2025—a process that took nearly eight months.
Stroll wants Horner, Newey vetoes
The BBC journalist Andrew Benson reported that the first name on Lawrence Stroll’s list for the team principal role was Christian Horner. “Horner met with Stroll this week,” the British outlet wrote.
However, according to some sources, Adrian Newey opposed the idea of bringing in his former Red Bull colleague.
The Telegraph confirmed that Jonathan Wheatley is not the only candidate under consideration for the team principal role.
Newey has reportedly explored the interest of former McLaren and Audi figure Andreas Seidl and Gianpiero Lambiase, who is currently also Max Verstappen’s race engineer.
Tensions with Mattia Binotto behind Wheatley’s Audi exit
Finally, journalist Tom Cary from The Telegraph added an important piece to the puzzle regarding Wheatley’s separation from Audi: “It is said that Wheatley’s wife did not settle in Switzerland. Combined with tensions with Binotto, this influenced his decision to leave Audi and Switzerland to return to the United Kingdom.”
There are therefore alleged frictions with Mattia Binotto, head of Audi’s F1 project, which appear to have been at the root of Wheatley’s decision to step down as team principal of the four-ringed manufacturer after just ten months.
Leave a Reply