Wheatley leaves Audi “with fast impact” amid Aston Martin rumours

Audi has confirmed the fast departure of workforce principal Jonathan Wheatley, following rumours he was being courted by Aston Martin.

Wheatley joined the workforce final 12 months, when it competed as Sauber, forward of its rebranding as Audi’s works workforce.

Stories emerged this week claiming Aston Martin had approached Wheatley to take over from Adrian Newey as its workforce principal. The transfer would permit Newey to return his focus solely to automobile design.

In a press release, Audi confirmed it would “implement important modifications to its senior administration construction.”

“As a result of private causes, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the workforce with fast impact,” it stated. “The workforce thanks Jonathan for his contribution to the mission and needs him the perfect for his future endeavours.”

Audi confirmed the top of its F1 mission, former Ferrari workforce principal Mattia Binotto, “will proceed main the workforce whereas taking on extra obligations as workforce principal.”

“Since becoming a member of on the helm of the mission in 2024, Mattia has been in command of the transformation of the workforce as Audi ready for and in the end entered F1 as a chassis and energy unit producer,” it added.

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“The workforce’s future construction might be absolutely outlined at a later stage, because the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving setting of System 1. With the unwavering dedication of Audi AG, Audi Revolut F1 Group will proceed progressing in the direction of difficult for championships by 2030.”

Wheatley has been tipped to hitch Newey at Aston Martin

Newey, extensively thought to be one among F1’s best automobile designers, joined Aston Martin in 2025 as technical accomplice. Nevertheless he took on the obligations of workforce principal from Andy Cowell in a shake-up introduced final November. Cowell, previously head of Mercedes’ energy unit division, took up a brand new function aiding Honda with its engine programme.

A transfer to Aston Martin for Wheatley would reunite him with Newey. The pair labored collectively on Purple Bull’s a number of championship-winning programme till Newey’s departure in 2024.

Wheatley loved some success throughout his transient interval in command of the workforce now referred to as Audi. Having been final in 2024, the workforce moved up one place within the 2025 championship, whereas Nico Hulkenberg delivered its first podium end for greater than a decade. Audi scored factors on its F1 debut in Melbourne earlier this month.

Following the information of Wheatley’s departure, Aston Martin proprietor Lawrence Stroll issued a press release relating to Newey’s standing on the workforce.

“With the present hypothesis surrounding Adrian Newey’s function in our workforce, I need to take this chance to set the document straight,” stated Stroll.

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“As govt chairman and controlling shareholder, I want to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my accomplice and an necessary shareholder. He’s AMR’s managing technical accomplice, and he and I’ve a real partnership constructed on a shared imaginative and prescient of success for the corporate.

“We do issues in another way right here, and whereas we don’t presently undertake the normal workforce principal function that you simply see elsewhere – it’s by design.

“As probably 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 workforce to ship on all elements of the enterprise, each on the Campus and trackside.

“We’re often approached by senior executives of different groups who want to be part of Aston Martin Aramco, however consistent with our coverage, we don’t touch upon hearsay and hypothesis.”

This text might be up to date.