Audi Taps Wheatley's Red Bull 'Champions League' Know-How for 2026 F1 Bid
Audi hired Jonathan Wheatley for his Red Bull-winning pedigree. Team boss Mattia Binotto says this "Champions League" experience is crucial for the manufacturer's ambitious 2026 F1 project.
Mattia Binotto has revealed that Audi's decision to hire Jonathan Wheatley was driven by his unparalleled championship-winning experience at Red Bull. The Audi F1 project chief likened the monumental task of transforming the Sauber outfit into a title contender to winning the "Champions League," emphasizing that Wheatley possesses the crucial winning mentality required for such an ambitious leap into Formula 1's top tier.
Why it matters:
Audi is entering F1 not merely to participate, but to dominate, and it understands that cultural transformation is as vital as technical excellence. Hiring a leader with a proven track record of sustained success is a strategic move to instill a winning mindset from day one, accelerating the project's timeline toward becoming a championship contender by 2030.
The details:
- A Proven Winner: Wheatley brings nearly two decades of Red Bull experience, rising from a mechanic to Sporting Director and playing a key role in their 2022 and 2023 Constructors' Championships.
- A "Champions League" Mentality: Binotto stressed that to compete at the front, a team must understand the pressure and standards of winning. He noted Wheatley "certainly knows what it's about" due to his title-winning pedigree, comparing the step-up to a football club entering Europe's premier competition.
- Blending Cultures: Binotto, the former Ferrari team principal, will work closely with Wheatley. The goal is to merge Binotto's strategic experience with Wheatley's proven operational excellence and winning culture from Red Bull, creating a new, powerful identity for the Audi team.
What's next:
The Binotto-Wheatley leadership partnership is now fully in place as Audi continues its transformation of the Hinwil-based operation ahead of its 2026 debut. All eyes will be on how the blend of Ferrari and Red Bull philosophies translates into on-track performance once the Audi-branded cars hit the grid, with the manufacturer's long-term goal of competing for world championships by 2030 hinging on the success of this foundational structure.