Red Bull is set to internally promote someone from its Formula 1 team to take over from outgoing sporting director Jonathan Wheatley.
Wheatley will exit Red Bull at the conclusion of the current season after an impressive 18-year tenure with the F1 champions. At 57, he is moving on to become the team principal for Audi F1 following a restructuring of its management.
The German automotive powerhouse has acquired the Swiss-based Sauber with ambitions to create its own car and engine for the 2026 season. However, it has faced challenges in making substantial progress and recently missed out on securing its primary driver target, Carlos Sainz, who signed with Williams.
According to Autosport, Mattia Binotto, Audi’s new chief operating and technical officer and former Ferrari team principal, had no involvement in Wheatley’s hiring.
Sources indicate that Red Bull plans to fill Wheatley’s position from within the organization, allowing an opportunity to rejuvenate its management structure.
Although Christian Horner will continue to lead, the departures of Wheatley and Adrian Newey necessitate a reorganization of Red Bull’s structure and pit wall.
This could potentially lead to the reintroduction of a team manager position as opposed to maintaining the sporting director title that Wheatley held.
This change would significantly aid Red Bull in its efforts to reduce costs to meet F1’s cost cap regulations.
Jonathan Wheatley, Red Bull Racing team manager
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Though the departures of Wheatley and Newey might raise concerns regarding turmoil within Red Bull, there is an alternative perspective that portrays the team as undergoing a transformation, allowing long-serving personnel to make way for new talent.
Designer Pierre Wache was presented with new contract terms just days prior to Newey’s confirmation of departure, signaling a potential new focus for Wheatley’s replacement.
Wheatley’s ambitions to one day become a team principal were no secret within the paddock.
Earlier this year, he had been associated with possibly taking over Horner’s position, especially when Horner was under scrutiny due to an internal investigation.
This situation caused some tension within the team until Wheatley expressed his loyalty by signing a letter of support for Horner, who had recruited him from Benetton in 2006.
Now, Red Bull may opt to divide Wheatley’s responsibilities, potentially promoting Gianpiero Lambiase, who currently serves as Head of Race Engineering and is also racing engineer for Max Verstappen.
A senior team member could then oversee the managerial aspects in discussions with the FIA.
However, sources suggest that the team is unlikely to seek external candidates, perceiving the exits of high-salaried personnel as part of a natural evolution.
