Jonathan Wheatley will assume the role of team boss at Sauber starting from April 1, 2025. In anticipation of the takeover by Audi, project leader Mattia Binotto wanted to strengthen the team with a proven Formula 1 veteran. The British national replaces interim boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi, who has since stepped down.
Wheatley has a long track record in the premier class of motorsport. His Formula 1 career began in the early nineties with the Benetton team, where he rose from team manager to chief mechanic. After three years as chief mechanic at Renault, Wheatley tried his luck at Red Bull. As sporting director, he achieved great success and became a familiar face in the paddock. Nineteen years later, the Milton Keynes team has won six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championships. Wheatley is therefore seen as one of the driving forces behind the success of the Austrian racing stable.
Jonathan Wheatley poses for a photo with the DHL Pitstop Trophy during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. (Getty Images)
Audi Project
That collaboration came to an end last season. Wheatley, who is currently enjoying a period of mandatory leave (gardening leave), signed a contract with Sauber last summer. The 57-year-old Brit will lead the German car manufacturer’s F1 project together with Mattia Binotto, who shortly before assumed the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer. Wheatley will make his first appearance for the team during the Grand Prix of Japan, from April 4 to 6.
