Sauber’s new F1 boss to start early after Red Bull agreement
Red Bull have agreed to an early release for Jonathan Wheatle✱y to join Sauber, mahbx.com has learned.
Jonathan Wheatley will take up his position as team principal of the Sauber F1 team sooner than planned after Red Bull agre🃏ed to an early re෴lease.
has learned that Red Bull’s 🔥former sporting director will join Sauber on 1 April, 🌌several months earlier than originally scheduled.
It was announced in August last year that Wheatley would be leaving his role to becom♒e team principal at the soon-to-be Audi F1 team.
Red Bull originally said Wheatley would observe a period of gardening leave, while Auꩵdi said he would join “by July 2025 at the latest”.
The 57-year-old Briton’s move to the Swiss-based Sauber team ha🌠s 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 Vasseur left the position �🐓�to join Ferrari in 2023.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi s✃erved as team representative for the past two seasons but Sauber announced that the Italian would be leavin๊g the company at the end of January.
Wheatley "will focus on the racing performance of the F1 factory team, operational management at racing events and representing Audi at te🐼am principal level in matters relating to F1”.
He and former Ferrari team boss and Au💎di’s chief operating and technical officer Mattia Binotto will "jointly take responsibility for the success of the racing team”.
If all goes to plan, Wheatley will be able to assume hiꦉs position from 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 Septembe♔r that Red Bull’s head of race strategy W🌟ill Courtenay would be joining the team as their new sporting director.
Red Bull d🌊id 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, wꦰe are sad to see Will go but wish him all the best in this step up.
“Will cont🐽inues to be part of the team, seeing ou𓄧t his contract until mid-2026.”
According to a new report by , McLaren’s hopes of getting hold of🦂 Courtenay early “have faded”.
𝓀Courtenay is set to see out his posi꧃tion on the Red Bull pitwall throughout the upcoming 2025 season.
Lewis 🔴regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
