Red Bull’s sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is resigning to take a position as leader of Audi’s Formula 1 team.
Until the end of this season, the 57-year-old British athlete will remain at Red Bull, where he has spent 18 years.
Audi was taken aback when Red Bull first revealed the plan, and they confirmed Wheatley’s employment more than three hours later.
Red Bull reports that Wheatley will take a “gardening leave” period the following year, and Audi stated he would join “by July 2025 at the latest.”
The language in the two releases suggests that the details of Wheatley’s relocation have not yet been agreed upon by Red Bull and Audi.
With the acquisition of the Swiss-based Sauber team, Audi will make its Formula One debut in 2026 driving a car with an original engine.
A week ago, Audi announced the appointment of Mattia Binotto, the former manager of the Ferrari team, as chief operational and technical officer, taking over for Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann.
In a statement, Audi said that there was “a clear division of duties, and responsibilities have been individually defined” and that Wheatley and Binotto would “jointly take responsibility for the success of the racing team”.
Binotto will oversee both “technical development of the future racing cars” and “operative management” of the team’s Hinwil, Switzerland, base.
He “will focus on the racing performance of the F1 factory team, operational management at racing events and representing Audi at team principal level in matters relating to F1” .
“With the appointment of Jonathan and Mattia we have taken a decisive step towards our entry into Formula 1,” stated Gernot Dollner, chief executive officer of Audi.
“I’m confident that between the two of them, we’ve combined an incredibly high caliber of expertise for Audi.
“Their experience and their ability will help us to get a foothold quickly in the tough competitive world of Formula 1.”
“I am extremely proud to have been a part of the Red Bull Racing journey over the last 18 years and will leave with many fond memories,” said Wheatley, who was not included in Red Bull’s first statement.
“However, the opportunity to play an active part in Audi’s entry into F1 as head of a factory team is a uniquely exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
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