Jonathan Wheatley is officially leaving the Audi Formula 1 team, ahead of his impending move to Aston Martin.
Autosport revealed on Thursday that Adrian Newey was set to step down from his team principal duties, which he assumed three months ago, to focus on technical matters – and would be replaced by Audi team boss Wheatley.
The decision was made amid Aston Martin’s disastrous start to F1’s new technical era in 2026, with the Honda power unit’s vibrations preventing the Newey-designed AMR26 from completing grand prix races due to battery reliability issues and driver health concerns.
The team’s downfall occurs as billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has tremendously invested in making the Silverstone-based outfit a title contender, with a state-of-the-art campus populated with elite F1 engineers like Newey and former Mercedes lynchpin Andy Cowell.
A mechanic who rose through the ranks at Benetton, Renault and Red Bull, where he served as team manager then sporting director, Wheatley has been Sauber/Audi’s team principal for a year.
His main task at Aston Martin will be to put the team back on track – which won’t be easy as it needs, more than anything, to get a powerful, reliable engine package.
Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team Principal
Photo by: Dom Gibbons / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Audi has clarified that head of Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto “will continue leading the team while taking over additional responsibilities as team principal”.
The statement from Audi continued: “The team’s future structure will be fully defined at a later stage, as the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving environment of Formula 1.
“With the unwavering commitment of AUDI AG, Audi Revolut F1 Team will continue progressing towards challenging for championships by 2030.”
Audi currently lies ninth in the 2026 constructors’ championship, with technical issues ruling Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto out of one grand prix each before those races had even started.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll responded with a statement, saying: “As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder. He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.
“We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere – it is by design.
Adrian Newey, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Joe Portlock / Getty Images
“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership where he excels. He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside.
“We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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