Jonathan Wheatley, one of the key team members at Red Bull Racing, will leave the team at the end of the 2024 season to join the Audi Formula 1 project as team principal. Jonathan Wheatley, who has been with Red Bull since 2006 after being recruited from Renault, has held the position of sporting director and played a significant role in the team’s successes.
Under his sports direction, Red Bull has repeatedly won the award for the best pit stop in a Formula 1 season delivered by DHL. He also enabled the team to obtain six world championship titles in the constructor’s championship, offering the team the opportunity to improve every year.
The transfer of Jonathan Wheatley to Audi follows the numerous team member transfers that have already taken place this year, notably with the arrival of Mattia Binotto at Audi as the head of the F1 project. Although rumors had circulated about a possible contract with Alpine before, the new team principal finally chose to join the Audi project. However, he will not immediately join his new team. After leaving Red Bull, he will be subjected to a “gardening leave”, a period that can last from a few months to a year, during which he will not be able to join a rival team as stipulated in his contract.
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, nevertheless expressed his gratitude towards Wheatley for his years of service within the company. It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years. His contribution to our six constructors’ world titles and seven drivers’ world titles, first as team manager and then as sporting director, will forever be a mark in our team’s history,” the press release read. Jonathan will remain in his position until the end of the 2024 season, as we seek to successfully defend our drivers’ and constructors’ world titles. A gardening leave will follow in 2025.
The team then wished him all the best for the future as he takes on a new role in a new team that will join the grid in 2026. Everyone at Oracle Red Bull Racing and Red Bull Technology wishes him the best in his new role and would like to thank Jonathan. Red Bull Racing has considerable strength and depth, and this provides an opportunity to elevate other team members. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks.
Wheatley’s transition to Audi marks the end of an era for Red Bull, but also opens a promising new chapter for the German team as they prepare to enter Formula 1.
