Jonathan Wheatley Reflects on Audi F1, Career Growth, and His Love of Cars
If you’ve followed Formula 1 for any length of time, chances are you’ve seen or heard of Jonathan Wheatley. Starting his career as a mechanic in the 1990s, Wheatley steadily rose through the ranks to become a central figure in one of F1’s most dominant teams. He spent 18 years at Red Bull Racing, serving as Team Manager and then Sporting Director, helping to shape the team’s ascent into a championship powerhouse. Now, he’s taken on a new challenge—leading Sauber as Team Principal as the team transitions into the official Audi Formula 1 works team ahead of 2026.
At the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Wheatley spoke with Goodwood Road & Racing about his new role, the path that led him there, and his deep-rooted passion for cars. The surprising turning point? It happened right after last year’s Festival. “In the torrential rain on Sunday, I drove up to Southampton Airport… and met Gernot Döllner from Audi,” he revealed. That meeting marked the start of Wheatley’s move to Sauber—a team Audi is investing in heavily as it prepares to return to the grid under new regulations.
Despite never aiming for a team principal role, Wheatley embraced the challenge. “Not for a second did I think I’d be sat here doing this,” he said. “When I started, I thought I’d do it for a couple of years and just tick the box and say ‘I’ve done Formula 1.’” Still, a few key moments and calls—first to Red Bull, then to Sauber—set the course for an extraordinary career. “You get a few [compelling calls] in your life: one of them took me to Red Bull and the other one’s brought me here.”
Now leading the team alongside CTO and COO Mattia Binotto, Wheatley is already seeing progress. Under their leadership, Sauber has scored its first double points finish since 2022 and secured a podium at Silverstone—Nico Hülkenberg’s first ever after 239 starts. “It all felt very comfortable and normal to be in a podium position,” Wheatley said. “It was like, there must have been a pressure of ‘can we do this?’ People maybe didn’t believe that it was even possible.” Of Hülkenberg’s performance, he added, “I think it was one of the most outstanding drives I’ve seen at Silverstone… maybe one of the top ten that I’ve ever seen in my career.”
Away from the pit wall, Wheatley’s enthusiasm for cars runs just as deep. “I’ve spent more hours looking at cars online and which one I could buy, which one I could add,” he admitted with a smile. He recently acquired a long-coveted Audi Quattro after years of admiring the Group B legends. “I can remember seeing Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear on the last 20-valve Quattro, and I wanted one desperately,” he said. His collection also includes a classic 1967 Porsche 911. With roots in performance and a lifelong passion for driving, it’s no surprise Wheatley hinted he might take part in next year’s Festival of Speed behind the wheel of a car from the Audi Tradition collection.
As Audi prepares to enter the 2026 Formula 1 season with full works support, Wheatley’s leadership marks a pivotal moment in the team’s evolution. From wrenching on cars in the ’90s to guiding a global brand toward its next championship pursuit, his story reflects both humility and ambition. “It’s just continuous improvement,” he said. “That’s what it’s about—constantly building on this momentum.”
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