NEW F1 team principal hailed in official statement ahead of debut

Jonathan Wheatley chats with Sergio Perez on the grid at the Dutch Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

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NEW F1 team principal hailed in official statement ahead of debut

Jonathan Wheatley has joined Sauber

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 3 April 2025 21:54

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A former Red Bull star is set to make his debut as a team principal this weekend, and has been given a huge welcome from his new team ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Jonathan Wheatley has become the new team principal of Sauber Formula 1 team, having decided to leave Red Bull midway through the 2024 season.

Wheatley was the sporting director at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, and will now take over as Sauber's main man trackside before they transition into Audi in 2026.

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He recently explained in an interview that his decision to leave the multiple world champions was down to wanting a new challenge, taking up one of the most sought-after roles within an F1 team.

Now, Sauber have welcomed Wheatley at their Hinwil headquarters in Switzerland, as the Brit officially took the reins as team boss at the start of this month.

"Welcoming our new team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, to Hinwil," the team revealed in a social media statement on Instagram.

Wheatley's Sauber debut

Wheatley is making his debut at the Japanese GP, after a solid start to the season for the team. Having only scored four points throughout the whole of 2024, Sauber already sit on six points in 2025 after just two race weekends.

New driver Nico Hulkenberg has added an extra level of experience and form for the team, while rookie Gabriel Bortoleto is an exciting prospect.

The job for Wheatley and chief technical officer Mattia Binotto is to finish as high up the standings as possible in 2025, before the transition to Audi takes place in 2026, when the outfit are hoping to become challengers for race victories in the succeeding years.

Wheatley left Red Bull around the same time as design genius Adrian Newey, as the team faced a tumultuous few months following an investigation into Christian Horner's conduct, which eventually cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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Red Bull Audi Japanese Grand Prix Nico Hulkenberg Jonathan Wheatley