How Wheatley wants Sauber to use Hulkenberg podium momentum in Audi transformation

Jonathan Wheatley says he is relishing the chance to carry Sauber’s mid-season momentum into 2026, as the team transitions into the Audi Formula 1 outfit.

Wheatley officially joined Sauber in April after leaving Red Bull and has already overseen steady improvements during his short tenure as team principal.

At the Austrian Grand Prix, Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth and scored his first points in F1, while a major payday came at the British GP where Nico Hulkenberg claimed his first podium in 239 F1 starts by finishing third – marking Sauber’s first podium since 2012.

Wheatley says he is looking to build on that form as the team prepares for its transformation into an Audi-run operation next season.

When asked by Autosport at the Goodwood Festival of Speed about the team’s progress, he joked: “I don’t think I’ve achieved much, to be honest, except for a successful move to Switzerland!

“No, it’s been wonderful working with the team. Obviously, Matteo [Binotto, Sauber’s COO] put a huge amount of work in before I arrived, and so got the ball was rolling from that point.

“It’s been great to just absorb myself in the team and try to understand how it works, to add a little bit of guidance here and there, and now, when I sat on the pitwall at Silverstone, it really feels like it’s coming together.

“My first race was Suzuka and the Japanese GP [in April]. I’ve done 10 races in 13 weeks or something like that. It’s been it’s been quite a period of time. I think from the moment we brought the first upgrade to the car, you could see the confidence in the drivers all of a sudden, they could push the car, they could string together consecutive qualifying laps, and it puts us in a position where we can maximise our advantage.

“There’s a lot of work going on before I got here, and I don’t want to stand here and take credit for things. It’s a huge team at work here. They made the big steps in terms of equipment but also coaching confidence in the crew and things like pitstops, which are a manifestation of team spirit. When you see a team relaxed delivering good pitstops, that’s a happy team.”

As F1 teams prepare for the biggest regulation change in its history with new chassis and engine rules, Wheatley knows that despite having Audi’s backing the team faces a serious challenge in overhauling the traditional frontrunners.

However, he says that challenge was what lured him away from Red Bull to join the Audi project, which he believes is one of the most exciting developments in F1.

“It was a year ago, almost to the day, where I had my job interview. I drove from here at Goodwood to Southampton Airport where I met with Audi and we discussed the project. I’ve been on the hook ever since,” he said.

“I grew up watching Audi Quattros smashing through the forest with flames coming out of the exhaust! Audi always did it differently and it’s fantastic to be part of that journey. It is probably the biggest thing in our sport at the moment. The greatest good news story in sport. It’s fantastic for F1 and everyone should be excited about it.

Oliver Hoffmann, Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH, with Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG, with the new Audi Sport concept car

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“We have to be humble about the challenge that we face. It’s going to be tough to get to the same level as the established teams, and to smash through that level requires a level of momentum.

“But I firmly believe we’re going to be there. We’re on the road already. We’ve put ourselves in a position where we were able to capitalise on some wet-weather situations.

“Very soon I’m going to have four rings on a shirt, and I’m going to be the happiest team principal in F1.”