Aston Martin shake‑up
Adrian Newey will step down as Aston Martin’s team principal to focus on technical work, and Jonathan Wheatley — recently departed Audi — is expected to take the helm, a switch fans are calling a ‘fever dream’ ( ). Mercedes also tweaked leadership this week, appointing Bradley Lord as deputy team principal, while Lewis Hamilton (now at Ferrari) has publicly set bold targets for the season — a major mid‑season personnel ripple ( ).
Audi confirmed on March 20, 2026 that Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect and that Head of the Audi F1 project Mattia Binotto will assume Wheatley’s responsibilities in the interim. (formula1.com) The official Audi statement said Wheatley’s exit was “due to personal reasons” and thanked him for his contribution as the organisation restructures its senior management. (motorsportweek.com) Wheatley had only been in the Sauber/Audi project since 2025 and stepped away two races into the 2026 season, a change flagged across paddock reporting. (autosport.com) Audi’s own biography and team pages list Wheatley’s previous roles as Red Bull sporting director and earlier spells as chief mechanic at Benetton and Renault — a résumé that includes involvement in multiple constructors’ titles. (audi-mediacenter.com) Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll issued a public statement on March 20, 2026 reaffirming that Adrian Newey is “my partner and an important shareholder” and that the team does not comment on rumour and speculation. (astonmartinf1.com) Aston Martin’s leadership noise follows a difficult start on-track: the team completed just 334 laps across six pre‑season running days — the fewest of any team — while Honda publicly acknowledged vibration/battery problems with its 2026 power unit; Aston Martin had scored zero points after the opening two races. (f1i.com) (formula1.com) (skysports.com)
