Aston Martin Set for Shake-Up as Wheatley Departs Audi

Aston Martin’s search for stability has taken a decisive turn, with Jonathan Wheatley announcing his immediate departure from the Audi F1 project, clearing the path for his expected appointment as Team Principal at the desperate British outfit.

It seems Aston Martin’s prayers for a steady leader have been answered, with Wheatley, less than a year into his tenure at the new Audi Revolut F1 Team, all but confirmed to be jumping to the sinking AMR x Honda ship.

No stranger to commitment, Wheatley spent 18 years working his way up to his position as Sporting Director at Red Bull Racing before he was poached for the top job at Audi Revolut F1 Team, with the news of his promotion making headlines in August, 2024.

Following a period of gardening leave, Jonathan Wheatley wasted little time immersing himself in the Audi F1 Project, initially stepping in as Team Principal at Kick Sauber in 2025 before the Audi takeover for 2026 formalised his role at the front of the Audi Revolut F1 Team.

Across that first season in charge, Wheatley experienced the full spectrum of the sport, banking a string of points finishes while overseeing a landmark moment for Nico Hülkenberg, who stormed to a long-awaited maiden podium at the British Grand Prix.

At the helm of Audi’s transformation alongside Mattia Binotto, 2026 has delivered an immediate return.

Gabriel Bortoleto secured a points finish on debut at the Australian Grand Prix, crossing the line in ninth to score two points, though Hülkenberg failed to take the start.

In Shanghai, the upward trajectory continued as Hülkenberg came within one place of the top ten, though fortunes flipped on the other side of the garage, with Bortoleto recording his first DNS of the season.

But despite the instant progress at Audi, a whirlwind few days of speculation have ended with Wheatley announcing his immediate departure from Hinwil-based team, pending confirmation from Aston Martin on where exactly he will end up.

As a result, former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto will take on TP responsibilities, adding to the Italian’s workload from his role as the Head of Audi F1 Project.

“As it continues its journey towards the front of the grid, Audi Revolut F1 Team will implement significant changes to its senior management structure,” the team statement read.

"Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect.

“The team thanks Jonathan for his contribution to the project and wishes him the best for his future endeavours.

"Mattia Binotto, Head of Audi F1 Project, will continue leading the team while taking over additional responsibilities as Team Principal.

“Since joining at the helm of the project in 2024, Mattia has been in charge of the transformation of the team as Audi prepared for and ultimately entered F1 as a chassis and power unit manufacturer.

"The team's future structure will be fully defined at a later stage, as the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving environment of Formula 1.

“With the unwavering commitment of AUDI AG, Audi Revolut F1 Team will continue progressing towards challenging for championships by 2030.”

Two garages up the pit lane, engineering mastermind Adrian Newey has steadied the ship in recent months, stepping in as interim Team Principal in tandem with his duties as Managing Technical Partner at the embattled Aston Martin F1 Team while the organisation worked to secure a long-term leader for the 2026 season.

After treating the Australian Grand Prix like a fourth practice session — with Fernando Alonso retiring, rejoining, then retiring again — the Chinese Grand Prix sprint weekend told a familiar story, as the AMR26’s persistent vibrations and struggle to harmonise the new Honda power unit with the chassis left the car not only difficult to trust at the limit, but unable to reach it safely.

Wheatley, Newey’s former colleague at Red Bull Racing, now looms as the man to ease the 67-year-old’s growing burden, with Aston Martin’s early struggles integrating with Honda under the new 2026 regulations showing little sign of easing.

However, the British team’s decision is not yet confirmed, with the infamous Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, Lawrence Stroll, releasing a statement of his own, backing Newey while refusing to comment “on rumour and speculation” regarding Wheatley’s future.

“With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey’s role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight,” Stroll said.

“As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder.

“He is AMR’s Managing Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.

“We do things differently here, and while we don't currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere — it is by design.

“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian's primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership, where he excels.

“He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside.

“We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”

Both Aston Martin and Audi will be under the microscope when the sport picks back up in Japan next week, with Round 3 of the 2026 season taking place at the iconic Suzuka Circuit.