P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko understands outgoing Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley’s choice to leave the team at the end of the year to join’s Audi Formula 1 venture. Wheatley was announced as the future Sauber/Audi Team Principal in August and he will leave Red Bull at the end of this year having joined the team […]
Jonathan Wheatley has been announced as the future Sauber/Audi Team Principal, leaving Red Bull at the end of this year after being with the team since 2006. He will take his new appointment at Hinwil in July 2025, with CEO Mattia Binotto taking on an interim basis role for the first half of next year. Helmut Marko, while sad to see Wheatley go, understands his motivations for leaving and acknowledges that Audi’s offer was unmatched. Red Bull is losing a valuable member in Wheatley, who has played a significant role in areas such as pit stops and mechanic training. Despite the departures of Wheatley and Adrian Newey, Marko is confident in Red Bull’s ability to cope and believes they can manage the situation internally. Wheatley will face a difficult challenge in turning around the struggling Sauber team, which has yet to score any points this season, before Audi’s arrival in 2026.
