Red Bull have been hit with another shock exit as sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is set to join Audi as their team principal.
The Formula 1 champions have been working to renew several of their most important engineers’ contracts in recent months, but Wheatley’s name has been a significant absence.
And the reason for that has now been revealed, with the sporting director set to leave at the end of the current season.
German brand Audi will enter Formula 1 officially in 2026, taking over from what is now known as Sauber.
Wheatley will serve a year of gardening leave before taking up the position.
He joined Red Bull in 2006 having worked as a chief mechanic at Renault and has enjoyed a successful 18-year career in Milton Keynes.
BREAKING: Red Bull Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley to leave the team to become Team Principal of the Audi F1 project#F1 PIC.TWITTER.COM/PO6GZV5DPT
— Formula 1 (@F1) AUGUST 1, 2024
Team principal Christian Horner paid tribute to his close friend, saying: “It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.
“His contribution to six world constructors’ titles and seven world drivers’ championships, first as team manager and latterly sporting director will forever be a marker in our team history.”
Wheatley follows chief technical officer Adrian Newey out of the door and his exit will have as much of an impact as the man he is leaving alongside.
Red Bull’s downward trend has been matched on track in recent weeks, with McLaren and Mercedes taking multiple wins from Max Verstappen.
But that did not stop the team from officially announcing his exit, jumping the gun ahead of Audi, who are still yet to comment.
A statement said: “Today, Oracle Red Bull Racing announces the departure of Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley, as he heads to a new challenge, taking up the role of Team Principal with the Audi F1 Project.”
With another key figure departing, it leaves the door wide open for Verstappen, whose future is in doubt with Mercedes reportedly desperate to sign him.
