Jonathan Wheatley becomes director of Sauber / Audi and will jointly manage with Mattia Binotto

Jonathan Wheatley will become Sauber team principal next April 1st. The future Audi factory team had lured Wheatley away from Red Bull last year, where he had previously worked as a sporting director. He was initially supposed to join Sauber in July, but Red Bull granted Wheatley an early release, meaning he can start working in April after a break.

This appointment is part of the team’s transition strategy, which will take over the official management of Audi’s Formula 1 team from 2026. Wheatley’s official racing debut will take place at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. The hiring of the former Red Bull member was announced last August. He succeeds Alessandro Alunni Bravi as the head of Sauber, who previously held the position of team representative and was responsible for track activities.

A management of the team by two

Under the leadership of Gernot Döllner, Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto will be accountable together. Jonathan Wheatley will be the team director while Mattia Binotto will take on the roles of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Technical Officer (CTO).

Jonathan Wheatley’s rich career in Formula 1, which began at Benetton in the 1990s and was marked by his role as chief mechanic until 2001, continued successfully with Renault and Red Bull Racing, where he significantly contributed to numerous world titles as sporting director. With this considerable experience, Wheatley, born in 1967, now joins Sauber, a crucial step in preparing for Audi’s entry into F1 in 2026. He will lead the team jointly with Mattia Binotto, the current chief operating officer and technical director, under the supervision of Gernot Döllner. Wheatley’s expertise will be essential to ensure an effective and competitive transition to the Formula 1 World Championship, while Binotto will act as interim team director for the first two races of 2025.