Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley will lead Sauber Motorsport AG’s new control team together, Audi has demonstrated as the German manufacturer explains its new control structure.
Red Bull announced earlier this week that its team principal Jonathan Wheatley would be leaving the Austrian-British team, as he heads towards a new challenge, taking on the role of team principal for the Audi F1 project.
Before joining Audi, Wheatley will continue his role at Red Bull for the rest of the year before a gardening era in 2025.
Wheatley’s Formula 1 career began in the early 1990s at Benetton Formula One, where he became a mechanic leader. He then joined the new Red Bull Racing team, where he enjoyed wonderful good luck as sporting director. During his time at Red Bull Racing, Wheatley helped win all six constructors’ world championships and all seven drivers’ world championships.
Audi recently showed that Binotto and Wheatley will jointly lead Sauber Motorsport AG’s new control team. In their new roles, both will report to Gernot Döllner as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG.
The Ingolstadt manufacturer states that “they will jointly take care of the well-being of the racing team. There is a transparent department for daily work and the daily work is explained individually. “
As COO and CTO, Mattia Binotto is responsible for the operational control of Sauber Motorsport AG in Hinwil and the technical progress of the long-term race cars. In this position, he is the overall technical interface between the progression groups in Hinwil and Audi Formula Racing GmbH at Audi in Neuburg an der Donau, which is responsible for the progression of the powertrain.
At the latest in July 2025, Jonathan Wheatley will join Audi’s new Formula 1 control team as team principal and control spokesman. He will mainly deal with the race functionality of the F1 factory team in the long term, the operational control of all races and the representation of Audi at the main point of the team for Formula 1-related matters.
The decision to create a dual control team is part of the realignment of the design of the future factory equipment in the context of the full acquisition of all shares of the Sauber Group through Audi. ” With the appointment of Jonathan and Mattia, we have taken a decisive step towards our entry into Formula 1,” says Gernot Döllner.
“I am convinced that with the two of them we have managed to combine an incredibly high level of competition for Audi. Their experience and functions will allow us to temporarily position ourselves in the most competitive world of Formula 1. “
Commenting on his new role, Wheatley added: “I am incredibly proud to have been on the Red Bull Racing adventure for over eighteen years and will leave with many wonderful memories. ”
“However, the opportunity to play an active role in Audi’s entry into Formula 1 as a factory team principal is an exciting prospect and I look forward to the challenge. I am also pleased to work with Mattia, whom I have known for many years. and who is the right user to collaborate in this exciting project.
Commenting on Wheatley’s appointment, Binotto said: “I have known Jonathan for many years and he is an experienced and committed motorsport expert.
“The year 2026 is not far away and I look forward to creating the new racing team for Audi with Jonathan and leading it to success. “
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