Red Bull exodus continues as man behind Max Verstappen’s controversial 2021 title exits

The man behind Max Verstappen’s controversial world championship victory over Lewis Hamilton in 2021 will leave Red Bull to take up the upcoming role of team principal at Audi.

Jonathan Wheatley, who is sporting director at Red Bull, was instrumental in the team being the best in Formula 1 for pit stops before rising to prominence after his conversations with race director Michael Masi were broadcast on television during the season finale at Abu Dhabi.

The Briton will serve a period of gardening leave next year before joining Audi’s F1 project, which is set to enter the grid in 2026. Wheatley, 57, arrived at Red Bull in 2006 and has helped the team win six constructors’ titles as well as the drivers’ crown seven times.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said: “It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years.

“His contribution to six World Constructors’ titles and seven World Drivers’ Championships, first as team manager and latterly sporting director will forever be a marker in our team history.”

Wheatley famously argued for the lapped cars to be let through under a safety car ahead of the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which led to Verstappen denying Hamilton a record-breaking eighth world championship by overtaking the Mercedes driver to win his maiden title.

Wheatley will follow chief technical officer Adrian Newey out of the Red Bull at the end of the year. Audi, who are set to join the grid in 2026 after purchasing Sauber, recently sacked chief executive Andreas Seidl and chief representative Oliver Hoffmann before announcing former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as chief operating officer and chief technical officer earlier this week.

A statement from the F1 team continued: “Red Bull Racing have tremendous strength and depth and this provides opportunity to elevate others within the team. We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks.”

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