It was at the Japanese Grand Prix last year that Jonathan Wheatley made his first appearance as team principal of what is now Audi’s works Formula 1 team. After two decades as sporting director of Red Bull, he gave all the indications of being massively enthusiastic about an ambition fulfilled – and delighted to move to Switzerland.
Less than 12 months on, Mattia Binotto – the ‘head of F1 project’ who has effectively absorbed Wheatley’s responsibilities – gave what was perhaps an unintentionally blunt answer to the question of who might replace Wheatley, one of the most respected managers in the F1 paddock.
“For the future, I think we are not looking for a new team principal,” he said.
“I will keep the role, but I will need someone to support me at the race weekends because I will not be always at the race weekend myself. I need to focus most at the factory where there is the most to transform – I would say, not only to develop, to transform.
“So certainly a support at the race weekend is required.”
Several high-profile candidates for the team principal role have been pitched since Wheatley’s departure “for personal reasons” was announced the week before the Japanese GP. These include the likes of Le Mans winner and former Toyota F1 racer Allan McNish, who oversaw Audi’s Formula E effort.
Wheatley’s exit came as a surprise to many within the team, not least Nico Hulkenberg, who only found out when his mother sent him a link to a news story about it. And while others – including Gabriel Bortoleto – have claimed to have seen it coming, there were certainly no signals to the outside world.
Wheatley gave no outward signals that he was looking to depart
Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
But Binotto’s claim that he can in effect do the job himself, with a more junior person acting in his stead at race weekends where he chooses not to be present, gives a clear pointer to one possible reason for Wheatley looking elsewhere – Autosport understands this will be Aston Martin, following a period of gardening leave.
Binotto is no stranger to wearing many hats. At Ferrari he continued to wield executive power over the engineering department even after he was promoted from technical director to team principal.
Wheatley, for his part, clearly envisaged his move to Audi as a step up from his sporting director role. While the position of team principal has changed over the years – now they are mostly employees rather than the ultimate owners – Wheatley spent two decades at Red Bull when it was run by Christian Horner, who expected every aspect of the team’s business to cross his desk.
This is clearly a different vision of the team principal’s role than currently holds sway at Audi. Far from being lord of all that he surveyed, Wheatley was expected to be Binotto’s trackside representative.
It would not be surprising if one as famously competitive as Wheatley – the man who bent race director Michael Masi to his will during those infamous closing laps of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – were to chafe at finding this new role was not the upgrade he had expected.
If so, he might be further displeased to hear his input over the past few months downplayed by his ex-boss.
Recent events mean Binotto has extended his influence over team operations
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
“I have to say that the team has remained very focused and concentrated this weekend. And operationally, the team has performed very well this weekend,” said Binotto after the Japanese GP.
“And we can be pleased, showing that at the end is not about an individual. It’s about the team. What’s counted the most is the team.
“So, I would not be concerned for the future because of individuals.”
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