Jonathan Wheatley is formally leaving the Audi Components 1 workforce, forward of his impending transfer to Aston Martin.
Autosport revealed on Thursday that Adrian Newey was set to step down from his workforce principal duties, which he assumed three months in the past, to concentrate on technical issues – and would get replaced by Audi workforce boss Wheatley.
The choice was made amid Aston Martin’s disastrous begin to F1’s new technical period in 2026, with the Honda energy unit’s vibrations stopping the Newey-designed AMR26 from finishing grand prix races as a result of battery reliability points and driver well being issues.
The workforce’s downfall happens as billionaire proprietor Lawrence Stroll has tremendously invested in making the Silverstone-based outfit a title contender, with a state-of-the-art campus populated with elite F1 engineers like Newey and former Mercedes lynchpin Andy Cowell.
A mechanic who rose by means of the ranks at Benetton, Renault and Crimson Bull, the place he served as workforce supervisor then sporting director, Wheatley has been Sauber/Audi’s workforce principal for a yr.
His primary process at Aston Martin might be to place the workforce again on observe – which gained’t be straightforward because it wants, greater than something, to get a strong, dependable engine bundle.
Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Crew Principal
Photograph by: Dom Gibbons / Components 1 by way of Getty Photographs
In the meantime, Audi has clarified that head of Audi F1 mission Mattia Binotto “will proceed main the workforce whereas taking up further obligations as workforce principal”.
The assertion from Audi continued: “The workforce’s future construction might be totally outlined at a later stage, because the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving surroundings of Components 1.
“With the unwavering dedication of AUDI AG, Audi Revolut F1 Crew will proceed progressing in direction of difficult for championships by 2030.”
Audi at the moment lies ninth within the 2026 constructors’ championship, with technical points ruling Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto out of 1 grand prix every earlier than these races had even began.
Aston Martin proprietor Lawrence Stroll responded with a press release, saying: “As Govt Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I want to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my companion and an necessary shareholder. He’s AMR’s Managing Technical Associate, and he and I’ve a real partnership constructed on a shared imaginative and prescient of success for the corporate.
“We do issues otherwise right here, and whereas we do not at the moment undertake the normal Crew Principal position that you simply see elsewhere – it’s by design.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Racing
Photograph by: Joe Portlock / Getty Photographs
“As essentially the most profitable engineer within the historical past of the game, Adrian’s main focus is on the strategic and technical management the place he excels. He’s supported by a extremely expert Senior Management Crew to ship on all facets of the enterprise, each on the Campus and trackside.
“We’re repeatedly approached by senior executives of different groups who want to be a part of Aston Martin Aramco, however in line with our coverage, we don’t touch upon hearsay and hypothesis.”
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