Is early arrival of Jonathan Wheatley from Red Bull behind Alunni Bravi’s Sauber departure?. Sauber: Jonathan Wheatley could arrive early from Red Bull.

Is Alunni Bravi leaving because of Wheatley?
The official news of the day is the departure of Alessandro Alunni Bravi from Sauber after eight years with the team. While confirmation about the 50-year-old Umbrian lawyer’s future in F1 is still awaited, there are emerging reasons for a potential rationalization of Sauber’s organizational structure in view of Audi’s takeover in 2026. According to the authoritative web magazine The Race, the reason behind Alunni Bravi’s departure may also be partially linked to Red Bull agreeing to release Jonathan Wheatley before the end of his contract.

The rumor from the UK
Wheatley is indeed the profile chosen by Mattia Binotto and Audi for the role of team principal starting in 2025. The now former sporting director of Red Bull – who had been widely considered the favorite to replace Christian Horner in the event he was forced to resign due to the harassment scandal that erupted in early 2024 – was supposed to join Sauber after his contract with Milton Keynes expired in July. However, The Race cites sources within Red Bull who revealed that Wheatley was given the green light to move as early as April 1st.

Jonathan Wheatley in Sauber’s pit wall for the Japanese GP?
If confirmed, this early transition from Red Bull to Sauber-Audi would mean that the 57-year-old Englishman could be sitting in the Hinwil team’s pit wall as early as the Japanese GP, the third race of the 2025 season, scheduled for April 6th. It could thus be Jonathan Wheatley’s opportunity to take office ahead of schedule that led to the freeing up of Alunni Bravi, who, while not formally the team principal of Sauber, had taken on many of the tasks typically performed by an F1 team principal since 2023. As Team Representative, Alunni Bravi had been responsible for representing the team with the FIA, in negotiations with other teams, and with the press.