AUDI have confirmed that Formula One team principal Jonathan Wheatley has left the team – and he is set to join rivals Aston Martin immediately.
Wheatley, 58, moved to Sauber in 2025 during the Audi takeover and rebrand ahead of the current season.
But “personal reasons” have seen him depart as Head of Audi F1 Project Mattia Binotto takes over.
A statement said: “As it continues its journey towards the front of the grid, Audi Revolut F1 Team will implement significant changes to its senior management structure.”
And Wheatley is widely reported to be jumping straight into another key role, this time at Aston Martin.
Although the BBC say that no contract has been signed, Wheatley has been targeted to work under technical partner Adrian Newey.
It is written that Newey, 67, will step down from his principal role at Aston Martin to focus on technical problems with the car after a horror show start to the season leaving them without any points from the first two races.
He went up to be team principal last season but has had a strained relationship with CEO Andy Cowell.
Former Red Bull chief Christian Horner is claimed to have been approached by Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll, but Newey was not a fan of the move.
Newey and Wheatley were partners at Red Bull for 20 years, where they had great success.
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Wheatley, who has been based at Audi’s HQ in Switzerland, is also said to prefer a return to the UK.
Both Audi and Aston Martin have struggled in the early stages of the season, taking up two of the bottom four spots in the Constructors Championship.
Audi have just two points, both from Gabriel Bortoleto finishing ninth in the Australian Grand Prix opener.
Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg has done no better, not starting in Melbourne, and Bortoleto himself couldn’t race in Shanghai.
Aston Martin are even worse off with drivers Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso recording DNFs across the board.
They are currently last in the standings with Cadillac also pointless and Williams only on two points in ninth.
Veteran Newey helped build title-winning cars at McLaren and Williams in the 90s before dominating at Red Bull as well.
His arrival at Aston Martin was described by driver Lance Stroll as “a huge day, the most exciting day in the team’s history.”
He is earning around £20million per year and could get as much as £30m with bonuses.
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