Audi F1 News: ‘Mattia Binotto clashes’ led to blockbuster exit

Audi F1

'Mattia Binotto clashes' led to blockbuster Audi F1 exit

Mattia Binotto is taking on team principal responsibilities at Audi

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 24 March 2026 22:00

Jonathan Wheatley's exit from the Audi F1 team came after 'clashes and disagreements' with Mattia Binotto, according to reports in German media.

Audi announced last week that Wheatley had left the team with immediate effect, meaning that they are looking for a new team principal just two races into their F1 adventure.

Wheatley had previously been the team principal at Sauber, but was kept on when Audi completed their takeover of the Hinwil-based outfit, leading them into their new era as both a team and F1 power unit manufacturer.

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Last week's announcement came as a huge shock, and it is widely believed that Wheatley is now going to be announced as the team principal at Aston Martin, as Adrian Newey seeks to step down and focus purely on car design.

For Audi, the head of the Audi F1 project Binotto is now going to step up and take on team principal duties before their search for a full-time team principal begins.

Binotto was previously the team principal of Ferrari between 2019-2022, and so has pedigree when it comes to leading the trackside operations of an F1 team.

But reports from German publication Bild have suggested that 'disagreements' between Binotto and Wheatley had been taking place in recent weeks, ultimately leading to Wheatley's decision to depart the outfit.

The reasons for these disagreements, according to Bild, are believed to have been because of the disconnect between Wheatley and the car/power unit development side of things, and Binotto's disconnect from the trackside operations, leading CEO Gernot Dollner to start questioning the dual-leadership position of the pair.

Is Wheatley joining Aston Martin?

Wheatley is said to have not settled in well to his new surroundings since moving to Switzerland, and had already begun looking for a return to the UK.

Aston Martin's Silverstone base would be perfect in that sense, then, while Wheatley and Newey previously worked together with great success at Red Bull.

Wheatley is likely to have a period of gardening leave following his departure from Audi, which could be as long as a year, meaning any team that wants to acquire his services may have to wait.

While Aston Martin's current lowly position in F1 doesn't compare to Audi, Aston Martin's team owner Lawrence Stroll has high ambitions of becoming a championship-winning outfit in the future, and may be able to tempt Wheatley with a move to the Silverstone squad.

F1 HEADLINES: Aston Martin to swap drivers as team handed FIA lifeline

F1 Aston Martin Audi Jonathan Wheatley Mattia Binotto