Mattia Binotto will take over from Wheatley at Audi, with rumours circulating around his next move in Formula One.
(F1.com)
After recent suspicion surrounding Johnathan Wheatley’s Team Principal role at Audi F1 Team, a statement announcing his departure from the team on the 20th of March confirmed partly what many were speculating.
Wheatley made the move from Sporting Director of RedBull Racing last season, to Stake Kick Sauber. There, he saw many of the team’s successes. This included multiple Q3 enterences for rookie, Gabriel Borteleto, and a long-awaited maiden podium for Nico Hulkenberg.
(Jessica Eccles)
However, with the start of the 2026 Formula One season seeing the change from Kick Sauber to Audi F1 Team, the Team Principal only saw two races, before making the announcement of his departure.
The team issued a statement, stating that ““Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect.” Though not clear on the reasons, rumours circulated regarding a potential team-swap for the Brit.
Adrian Newey, Team Principal of Aston Martin, and successful engineer for many teams, such as RedBull Racing, has had the spotlight shining on him. Many sources speculate that he may step down from his role, making way for Johnathan Wheatley to take over the British team.
(PlanetF1.com)
These rumours only grew as Audi’s announcement certified his leave. Resultingly, Aston Martin and part-owner Lawrence Stroll released a statement, explaining Newey’s position at the Silverstone-based team.
“We do things differently here, and while we don’t currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere- it is by design.”
Now this neither confirms, nor denies Wheatley’s arrival to Aston Martin. However, expected statements will likely reveal the location of Wheatley’s new chapter in Formula One, potentially with Aston Martin.
Updates to follow.
Formula Focus 
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