- Jonathan Wheatley has stepped down as Team Principal of the Audi F1 team.
- Mattia Binotto will take on the role of Audi F1 Team Principal.
- Audi cited “personal reasons” for Wheatley’s departure, but he has been appointed Team Principal at Aston Martin.
Audi has had a slow start to its 2026 Formula 1 debut. The team has just two points and currently sits in eighth overall after two races. But apparently, Team Leader Jonathan Wheatley had seen enough.
According to Motorsport.comWheatley has stepped down from his role as team leader. Audi cited “personal reasons” as the reason for the move—but Wheatley is reportedly not leaving F1 completely.
Photo by: Audi
Wheatley allegedly left Audi to run Aston Martin. If Audi has faced a poor start to the season, Aston Martin is in a more difficult position. Powertrain problems prevented the English team from scoring goals every points so far this season. The Adrian Newey-designed AMR26 looks to be facing a serious uphill battle this season.
Reports suggest that the Honda powertrain unit vibrates very violently cause damage to the battery system. The cars are basically unable to finish the race at this point. In fact, Aston Martin has demoted Adrian Newey as Team Principal to focus on the car’s technical issues.
Jonathan Wheatley will allegedly take on Newey’s vacant role. If true, there is only upside potential from now on for Aston Martin. However, Audi feels the same way, which is why this move seems so surprising.
We sat down with Wheatley ahead of the pre-season livery reveal for the Audi R26. He appears excited to lead the brand’s entry into this top level of motorsport. However, Audi is a company that is not half-hearted when it comes to racing.
When Audi competes, the goal is to win—and do it relatively quickly. Wheatley could leave his mark on the sport by helping Audi fulfill its plans. But the appeal of trying to reverse the efforts of the struggling British carmaker has clearly proven too great.
Motor Pickup1: Audi cites personal reasons, but we think it’s a combination of a move back to the UK, coupled with a large amount of cash. Perhaps Wheatley sees nationalist pride in aiding Aston Martin’s bid to climb the ranks in F1. Regardless, jumping from Audi after just two races could signal greater concerns for the four-man racing team than we’d expect from such a renowned motorsport rival.
