Components 1 group chief Jonathan Wheatley has revealed that he by no means deliberate on changing into a group principal after starting his motorsport profession as a junior mechanic at Benetton within the early Nineties.
Having joined Sauber as group 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 up to now and the way he rose by the ranks, beginning as a junior mechanic at Benetton earlier than serving as chief mechanic on the identical group and Renault, and as group supervisor and sporting director at Crimson Bull.
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“This is able to be the least profitable profession on the earth if I had, as a result of it is taken me 34 years to get right here,” he advised when requested if he had at all times deliberate on changing into a group principal.
“No, again then, group 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 group principal was fully unattainable, as a result of I typically have been comfortable working in a group atmosphere.
“I by no means actually noticed myself doing the subsequent step or the subsequent step. I’ve simply loved every single day in Components 1. And like I mentioned, I’ve been very fortunate that folks have recognized me as perhaps any person who might take the subsequent step. After which I feel generally in your profession, you get a major telephone name, and this was a type of.”
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Jonathan Wheatley, Workforce Principal of Stake F1 Workforce Kick Sauber
Jonathan Wheatley, Workforce Principal of Stake F1 Workforce Kick Sauber
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 group, and I’ve been provided alternatives, and I sit right here as we speak as a Workforce Principal of what’s going to be the Audi Components 1 venture, which is without doubt one of the most enjoyable issues I can imagine I can say in a sentence.”
Audi will enter the F1 grid in 2026 with the identical driver line-up as Sauber in 2025 – and – however will now be below the brand new Audi branding as a works group.
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