Sauber’s new F1 boss to start early after Red Bull agreement
Red Bull have aꦇgreed to an early release for Jonathan Wheatley to join Sauber, ltxcn.toܫp has learned.
Jonathan Wheatley will take up his position as team principal of the Sauber F1 team sooner tha🌌n planned afte༺r Red Bull agreed to an early release.
has learned that Red Bull’s former sporting director will join Sauber on 1 April, several months earlier than originally schedulღed.
It was announced in August ♏last year that Wheatley would be leaving his role to become team principal at the soon-to-be Audi F1 team.
Red Bull originalꦗly sai❀d Wheatley would observe a period of gardening leave, while Audi said he would join “by July 2025 at the latest”.
The 57-year-old Briton’s move to the Swiss-baꦓsed Sauber team has now been accelerated after Red Bull agreed to an early release from his contract.
Wheatley will become Sauber’s first formal team principal since Fred Vass🌌eur left the position to join Ferrari in 2023.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi serv🍬ed as team representative for the past two seasons but Sauber ann🐻ounced that the Italian would be leaving the company at the end of January.
Wheatley "will focus on the racing performance of the F1 factory t﷽eam, operational management at racing events and representing Audi at team principal level in matters relating to F1”.
He and form🃏er Ferrari team boss and Audi’s chief operating and technical officer Mattia Binotto will "jointly ta♍ke responsibility for the success of the racing team”.
If all goes to plan, Wheatley will be able to assume his position fr🌜✨om the third round of the 2025 season at the Japanese Grand Prix.
McLaren made to wait for sporting director
Red Bull have not been so obliging with McLaren, who emerged as the team’s fiercest rival during t🐭he 2024 campaign.
McLaren announced in September🦩 that Red Bull’s head of race strategy Will Courtenay would be joining the team as their 😼new sporting director.
Red Bull did not comment on the move publicly at the time, but a source at the team was quoted as telling BBC Sport: “After a long and successful service, being with the team since the Jaguar days, we are sad to see Will g🧔o but wish him all the best in this step up.
“Wilꦏl continues to be part of the team, seeing out his contract until mid-2026.”
According to a new report by , McLaren’s🌳 hopes of ge𒀰tting hold of Courtenay early “have faded”.
Courtenay is set to see out his p🃏osition on the Red Bull pitwall throughout the upcom💧ing 2025 season.
Lewis regularly attends Grands 𒉰Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matte♍r in the sport.
