Mattia Binotto, Audi's head of F1 project, stated he will retain the team principal responsibilities previously held by Jonathan Wheatley, who departed ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Binotto said he needs trackside support to focus on factory work. Wheatley's exit for personal reasons surprised many in the team.
Jonathan Wheatley appeared as team principal of Audi's Formula 1 team for the first time at last year's Japanese Grand Prix, after 20 years as sporting director at Red Bull. Less than 12 months later, his departure was announced the week before this year's event, cited as for personal reasons. The move caught several team members off guard, including driver Nico Hulkenberg, who learned of it via a news link from his mother, while Gabriel Bortoleto claimed to have anticipated it. No public signals of Wheatley's intent to leave emerged beforehand. Binotto addressed the vacancy directly, saying, 'For the future, I think we are not looking for a new team principal. I will keep the role, but I will need someone to support me at the race weekends because I will not be always at the race weekend myself.' He emphasized focusing on factory transformations over race presence. Motorsport.com and Autosport report Wheatley is set to join Aston Martin after gardening leave. High-profile candidates like Allan McNish have been mentioned for the role, though Binotto indicated a more junior support position suffices. After the Japanese Grand Prix, Binotto highlighted team performance, stating, 'The team has remained very focused and concentrated this weekend. And operationally, the team has performed very well this weekend, showing that at the end is not about an individual. It's about the team.'
