Wheatley out at Audi
Audi F1 has removed Jonathan Wheatley after a turbulent 24 hours — the new squad sits 8th in the constructors after two races and its best result so far is 9th by Gabriel Bortoleto in Australia (frontstretch.com). The shake-up underlines how brutal the season’s early volatility is for new entrants and small teams trying to break into regular points (nytimes.com).
Audi announced Jonathan Wheatley will leave the team with immediate effect on March 20, 2026, citing “personal reasons” in its statement. (formula1.com) Mattia Binotto, who has served as Head of the Audi F1 Project, will assume Team Principal responsibilities on an interim basis as the team implements a revised senior management structure. (motorsportweek.com) Wheatley had joined the Sauber-to-Audi project in April 2025 after a long spell at Red Bull, making his tenure at Audi just under a year by the time of his March 20 departure. (the-straitstimes.com) (straitstimes.com) Multiple outlets reported that Aston Martin pursued Wheatley and that he is expected to replace Adrian Newey as Aston Martin’s team principal, a development covered as imminent by Autosport and Reuters. (autosport.com) Audi’s statement said further detail on the team’s future management would follow and thanked Wheatley for his contribution, while confirming Binotto will take on the additional duties in the short term. (formula1.com) Media reporting and team announcements published March 20–21, 2026, place Wheatley’s departure and Binotto’s interim appointment at the center of a rapid leadership reshuffle across two works teams. (reuters.com, espn.com) (france24.com)
