P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Jonathan Wheatley was due to start as Stake team principal later in 2025, but an agreement has been reached with Red Bull for an earlier start.
Jonathan Wheatley is set to start his duties as team principal at the Sauber F1 team sooner than planned due to an agreement with Red Bull. He left his position as Red Bull sporting director in 2024 to join Sauber, which will transition to Audi for the 2026 season. Originally scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025 after gardening leave, he will now join Sauber on April 1st, 2025. Wheatley’s first official appearance as team principal will be during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka from April 4-6th. This accelerated timeline follows the departure of Alessandro Alunni Bravi and interim leadership by Mattia Binotto for the initial races in Australia and China.
