Audi Formulation 1 crew chief Jonathan Wheatley has revealed that he by no means deliberate on turning into a crew principal after starting his motorsport profession as a junior mechanic at Benetton within the early Nineteen Nineties.
Having joined Sauber as crew principal in 2025, the Briton now heads into 2026 because the outfit transitions to Audi for the upcoming F1 season. The 58-year-old has mirrored on his profession so far and the way he rose by way of the ranks, beginning as a junior mechanic at Benetton earlier than serving as chief mechanic on the similar crew and Renault, and as crew supervisor and sporting director at Crimson Bull.
“This might be the least profitable profession on this planet if I had, as a result of it is taken me 34 years to get right here,” he informed Motorsport Week when requested if he had all the time deliberate on turning into a crew principal.
“No, again then, crew principals have been Ron Dennis, Flavio Briatore, Luca di Montezemolo. I imply, simply to even assume for a second that you could possibly be a crew principal was fully unattainable, as a result of I usually have been comfortable working in a crew surroundings.
“I by no means actually noticed myself doing the following step or the following step. I’ve simply loved day-after-day in Formulation 1. And like I stated, I’ve been very fortunate that folks have recognized me as perhaps any person who might take the following step. After which I feel typically in your profession, you get a big cellphone name, and this was a kind of.”
Jonathan Wheatley, Group Principal of Stake F1 Group Kick Sauber
Photograph by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
He added: “And I’ve simply been tremendously privileged to have been, at no level in my profession, massively profession motivated. I’ve simply loved working with no matter crew, and I’ve been provided alternatives, and I sit right here right now as a Group Principal of what’s going to be the Audi Formulation 1 venture, which is without doubt one of the most enjoyable issues I can consider I can say in a sentence.”
Audi will enter the F1 grid in 2026 with the identical driver line-up as Sauber in 2025 – Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto – however will now be beneath the brand new Audi branding as a works crew.
Learn Additionally:
We wish your opinion!
What would you prefer to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Group
