Former Red Bull executive Jonathan Wheatley is set to debut as team boss at Sauber from April 1, as announced by the Swiss racing stable on Wednesday. Wheatley, currently on so-called gardening leave, signed a contract with the team last summer. With the impending takeover by Audi in mind, project leader Mattia Binotto wanted to strengthen the team with a proven Formula 1 veteran.
Jonathan Wheatley will first represent the current Stake F1 Team during the GP of Japan (April 4 to 6, 2025). Interim boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi has already stepped down. In an official press release, Sauber describes Wheatley as a ‘highly respected and successful leader in Formula 1’. Wheatley, along with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, now the big boss at the Audi project, will manage the team. In just nine months, the entire racing stable will be transformed into an Audi factory team. With the introduction of new regulations, the Germans will also develop their own power source.Jonathan Wheatley’s Formula 1 career began in the nineties with the Benetton team, which later became Renault. There, he rose to the position of chief mechanic. However, in 2006, he was instrumental in the formation of the Red Bull team. The Brit started his career as a team manager, but climbed the ranks over eighteen years to become the sporting director of the Austrian racing stable. He is now a familiar face in the paddock and is considered one of the architects of Red Bull’s success. This collaboration came to an end this year. While he is currently enjoying his so-called gardening leave, he will be joining Sauber in Suzuka.
