Wheatley joins Audi with Horner’s blessing: “I encouraged him. Dynamics with Binotto will be crucial”. Red Bull team principal spoke about the departure of sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.

Green light from the ‘boss’
Among the many notable figures from Red Bull management who have changed teams in 2025 is Jonathan Wheatley, the historic sporting director of Milton Keynes. Starting April 1, the 57-year-old British engineer and manager will become the new team principal of Sauber, set to become the official Audi team in 2026. This is a major opportunity for him but also a significant loss for the Red Bull family, joining other high-profile departures such as Adrian Newey and Will Courtenay. However, Courtenay, currently head of race strategy and set to become McLaren’s sporting director, will only be able to leave Red Bull from mid-2026.

Jonathan Wheatley’s departure was ‘facilitated’ by Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner. As confirmed by Christian Horner himself, the now-former sporting director of the Anglo-Austrian team was looking for the chance to achieve a ‘career leap’ within the paddock. “It’s something he’s been aiming for for a long time,” Horner revealed in an interview with the RacingNews365 website. “So when the opportunity came, I encouraged him to take it. His move creates opportunities for others here [at Red Bull], and it’s a great opportunity for him in his career. I encouraged and fully supported him, telling him, ‘Go for it. You’ll regret it if you don’t.’”

Roles to balance
At Sauber/Audi, Jonathan Wheatley will encounter a unique situation: the team’s general manager will also be a former team principal, Mattia Binotto, who held that role for four seasons at Ferrari.

“I’m sure he’ll be an asset for Sauber,” Christian Horner said regarding Jonathan Wheatley’s move. “The definition of a team principal varies greatly from team to team. It depends on his role and function. But it’s primarily trackside. Much will depend on the dynamics between him and Mattia [Binotto],” warned the Red Bull boss. With two prominent figures at the helm of management like Binotto and Wheatley, it will undoubtedly be crucial for Audi to establish a clear division of roles and hierarchy within the team.