Audi F1 make team principal decision after shocking exit

Audi

Audi F1 make team principal decision after shocking exit

Audi's team principal left ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 30 March 2026 08:25

Audi F1 team principal Mattia Binotto has opened up on his own future as team boss.

Former Ferrari boss Binotto has taken on team principal duties at Audi following the shock departure of Jonathan Wheatley just two races into the season.

Binotto has been the head of the Audi F1 project since midway through 2025, overseeing the team's transition from Sauber to Audi and the implementation of their power unit production.

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The statement following Wheatley's decision to step down with immediate effect confirmed that Binotto would take on the added responsibility from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards.

And now, Binotto has revealed that this is just a short-term measure, and that they are looking for a full-time team principal to take over in the future.

"It has been very fast, very unexpected for the entire team," Binotto told F1 at the Japanese Grand Prix about Wheatley's departure. "It has been really a sudden departure, a sudden change.

"I don't think there is much we can say. He has spoken to our CEO, the board of the team, mentioning that he couldn't commit to the long term for private reasons that we cannot judge or comment on.

"We decided as Audi, given that he couldn't commit, to release him from duties. I don't think that as a team we have realised it yet. It was just [last week] and now we are here in Japan and we have a race weekend ahead.

"Looking at what his strengths were, the task he was performing - we need to fill the gap," Binotto continued. "I can't simply add more and more responsibility and tasks for myself.

"My main focus is at the factory base where we need to transform the team, where we need to develop the car and the powertrain, so I will need someone to support the team here at the race weekend.

"We are considering it. We will organise ourselves and I am pretty sure that very soon we can announce it."

Why did Wheatley leave Audi?

Wheatley's departure came just when Audi looked like they were building something as a team.

They have the ambition of being world champions by 2030, yet Wheatley left the project just two races in. Audi stated 'personal reasons' for Wheatley's departure from the outfit, and it's widely expected that he's going to take up a position with Aston Martin.

Rumours from German media suggested that Wheatley and Binotto had suffered some 'disagreements' in the last few months, while it's thought that the Brit had not settled too well to life in Switzerland.

If he does end up at Aston Martin, it will mean a reunion between two Red Bull legends in Wheatley and the team's current managing technical partner Adrian Newey.

F1 Audi Jonathan Wheatley Mattia Binotto