Yesterday afternoon it was announced that Jonathan Wheatley, after just ten months, had left the Audi team with immediate effect. Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya spoke about the situation in recent hours, suggesting that the “shock” of living in Switzerland compared to the United Kingdom may have been a key factor behind the former Red Bull figure’s departure from the new team in the paddock.
Even before the official confirmation, it had been widely reported that Wheatley is set to join Aston Martin, where he would replace Adrian Newey as team principal, allowing the renowned aerodynamicist to focus exclusively on his original role as managing technical partner.
Despite being a new entry in the paddock, the Audi team has continued to operate from Sauber’s headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland. According to Juan Pablo Montoya, this can be difficult for someone who has spent so many years based in the United Kingdom. In addition to being British, Wheatley has spent his entire Formula 1 career in England since 1991, first at Enstone with Benetton and then at Milton Keynes with Red Bull.
Switzerland is widely known as an incredibly beautiful place to live, but the Colombian highlighted the challenges of being away from the UK, where Wheatley had always been based throughout his career.
When asked about his initial reaction to Wheatley’s departure from Audi, Juan Pablo Montoya said exclusively to RacingNews365: First of all, it should be an opportunity to return to living in the United Kingdom. I think that was always one of the hardest things when I was at Sauber, because yes, Switzerland is great and everything, but when you’ve always been part of the racing world and have always operated in the UK, moving somewhere else is a bit of a shock.
Juan Pablo Montoya then added: I also think that the way Audi and Sauber have been working together may be a bit too political.
At present, nothing has been officially confirmed regarding Wheatley’s future, but there is little doubt that the situation will become clearer in the coming hours. For now, all that remains is to wait and then assess this brief chapter of his career at Audi.
Jonathan Wheatley’s departure highlights the immense gravitational pull of the UK-based Formula 1 hubs. For a veteran used to the rapid-fire pace of British-led teams, the transition to a more corporate or “political” Swiss structure can often prove insurmountable. As the 2026 season continues to reshape team hierarchies, the human element of where a lead engineer or principal chooses to call home remains a powerful factor in the sport’s high-stakes chess game.
Based on the content of Montoya’s insights, the paddock is now bracing for a formal announcement from Silverstone. The addition of Wheatley to the Aston Martin project would mark yet another high-profile signing for Lawrence Stroll as he seeks to build a world-beating technical department.
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