P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Audi becoming Red Bull 2.0 after Verstappen ally’s promotion
Jonathan Wheatley, former Red Bull sporting director, has been promoted to Audi team principal following Audi’s takeover of Sauber from the 2026 season onwards, resembling a Red Bull 2.0 team.
Another key figure from Red Bull, Lee Stevenson, formerly their chief mechanic, left the team in 2024 after a decade of service to join Sauber, and has since been promoted to team manager at Audi.
Audi unveiled their 2026 F1 car on January 9 during a Barcelona filming day, showcasing the new aerodynamic and power unit regulations for a more sustainable F1 future.
Audi will conduct their official season launch in Berlin on January 20, ahead of pre-season tests in Barcelona from January 26-30, gearing up for their debut season as a fully-fledged F1 team.
Red Bull fans keep an eye out for updates on Christian Horner’s potential return to the F1 scene, with the team boss addressing the situation in recent headlines.
