Reviews of Audi F1 staff principal Jonathan Wheatley’s shock transfer to Aston Martin have been dismissed as “hypothesis” by each groups.
However momentum across the story continued to construct on Thursday afternoon, with some high-ranking F1 paddock sources suggesting it might occur, whereas staff officers on either side claimed they knew nothing about it.
Aston Martin denied the suggestion, saying: crash web “The staff is not going to interact in media hypothesis relating to the senior management staff. Adrian Newey will proceed to steer the staff as staff principal and managing technical associate.”
Audi reiterated this coverage, saying: “We’re conscious of latest media studies. There isn’t a official replace from us right now and we don’t touch upon hypothesis.”
One attainable situation is that Aston approached Wheatley in some form of preliminary dialogue and information of contact between the 2 was relayed earlier than a choice was made.
As with the motive force market, such contact with rival staff bosses just isn’t unusual.
For instance, Flavio Briatore is known to have expressed an curiosity in hiring former Enstone colleague Wheatley to Alpine earlier than selecting Steve Nielsen.
At first look, there seems to be no cause for Wheatley to think about a transfer to Aston after only one 12 months on the membership.
His departure from his earlier job as Purple Bull’s sporting director was introduced by the Milton Keynes staff on August 1, 2024, having began with what was then nonetheless Sauber on April 1 final 12 months.
The Swiss staff made good progress all through the season, with Wheatley working intently with Mattia Binotto.
The transition to the 2026 Audi identification went extra easily than many observers anticipated, with the R26 qualifying for Q3 for the primary time in Australia and scoring factors, however two no-starts within the first two races took their toll.
Wheatley seems to be in good kind, however the prospect of working with former Purple Bull Racing colleague Newey and returning to his dwelling base within the UK may very well be interesting. There may additionally be questions on what his relationship with Binotto is like.
If such a transfer had been to materialize, Wheatley would seemingly take over the staff principal tasks at the moment held by Newey, even when he does not essentially get the precise position.
Given the turmoil surrounding the staff and its present struggles, it appears logical so as to add somebody extra senior to the administration staff to ease Newey’s workload and permit him to concentrate on his main position as managing technical associate.
However in Australia, Newey downplayed recommendations that he was too skinny.
He mentioned: “I believe the distinction between my title as staff principal and the best way I did it at Purple Bull, for instance, is that I had a really related position at Purple Bull, nevertheless it was restricted to the engineering division. On this position, it covers the entire firm, so in that sense it is a greater position, however in some ways it is an extension of what I have been doing for a few years.”
