Formula 1: Jonathan Wheatley to leave Red Bull for Audi team principal job

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said Wheatley’s “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”.

Red Bull’s statement said a new team structure would be announced at a later date.

Wheatley became widely known following the controversial 2021 world championship finale in Abu Dhabi, when he successfully lobbied race director Michael Masi to restart the race one lap from the end after a safety car period.

Masi over-rode the rules to do so, ignoring stipulations about restart timing and the handling of lapped cars, and the decision led to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passing Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes on the final lap to clinch the world title.

Hamilton had dominated the race up to that point and was on course to beat Verstappen to the championship.

A subsequent inquiry held by governing body the FIA put Masi’s actions down to “human error”. The Australian had by that point already left his role with the FIA.

Wheatley is one of the most highly regarded senior operatives in F1. He has won seven drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships with Red Bull.

Before joining the team, he was at the Benetton/Renault team from 1991 to 2006, rising through the ranks to become chief mechanic.

During his time there, the team won two drivers’ titles with Michael Schumacher in 1994-95, and in 2005 with Fernando Alonso, who also won in 2006.

Red Bull under Wheatley’s sporting leadership have become the best-drilled team in the pit lane, regularly leading the charts for fastest pit stops.

He has also been instrumental in the sporting committee that oversees the moulding of that side of the regulations.

Audi’s move for Wheatley marks an opportunity for career progression, which he has said he has wanted for some time.

He is the second major figure to leave Red Bull this season, following the decision of chief technical officer Adrian Newey to quit.

Newey, who negotiated an early exit, is free to work for another team from March next year.