The man who came THIS CLOSE to replacing Christian Horner at Red Bull

It has been said that time waits for no man, and Ex-Red Bull star Jonathan Wheatley knows that better than most.

It would have been fascinating to see the 58-year-old's reaction on Wednesday morning when it was announced that Christian Horner had been sacked by Red Bull with immediate effect.

Wheatley must surely have been wondering what might have been.

It's almost one year to the day since Wheatley announced he would be stepping down from his role as sporting director at Horner's former employers, choosing to instead take over the reins at Sauber and then Audi following their transition in 2026.

Hindsight is, of course, always in 20/20, but you have to wonder whether Wheatley was hit with a dose of regret this week - even for a fleeting moment - having made that decision.

Things could have turned out very different had he stuck around.

Audi offer too good for Wheatley to refuse

There were a host reasons behind his decision to move on midway through last season, not least following the fallout from allegations of misconduct previously made against his former colleague.

Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing after an internal investigation, but the whole saga appeared to have left a bad taste in the mouth of many of the F1 team's key employees.

Indeed, the writing appeared to be on the wall for Horner during much of the first half of 2024, with speculation over his future dominating the headlines.

An exit amid all of that unwanted scrutiny would have come as little surprise to anyone. Alas, it never came.

Had he been shown the door back then, or left of his own volition for that matter, Wheatley would be considered a more than viable option to step into his shoes.

It wasn't as if he didn't want it either. Helmut Marko said as much.

"Jonathan Wheatley was a very important part of the team,” the motorsport advisor told the Inside Line Podcast back in September.

"But he’s now in his mid-50s, and of course, he wanted to… he started as a mechanic, so it’s a very astonishing and a very proud career.

"He wanted to get a position which is more demanding for him and, unfortunately [for us], this Audi offer came, which we couldn’t match - either the position nor the money which was offered."

Could Wheatley make Red Bull return?

Now, there's no suggestion that Wheatley is currently unhappy where he is. Quite the opposite, actually.

Leading one of motorsport's biggest names into the top tier of racing is certainly something to be excited about and likely the exact challenge Wheatley left Red Bull in search of.

The celebrations which greeted Nico Hulkenberg's incredible appearance on the podium at Silverstone last weekend will also be a moment for Wheatley to treasure and a sure sign of potential for the future.

But a chance to take charge at Red Bull would have been something extra special.

That opportunity has instead gone the way of Laurent Mekies, with the former Racing Bulls chief immediately named as Horner's successor.

This season already looks to be a write-off for the Milton Keynes squad, with the constructors' title set to stay with McLaren, and Max Verstappen's grip on the drivers' crown loosening with each passing race.

Goodness knows what Red Bull's driver line-up will even look like in 2026. Will Verstappen still be there? Will they even bother recruiting a second driver if he is?

It's safe to say Mekies has a monumental challenge ahead of him.

And if he is unable to turn their fortunes around next year, who's to say Wheatley wouldn't be in the frame for a shock return?

Whether he would even want to by the time that offer may roll around is another question.

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