Christian Horner reacts to his right hand man leaving Red Bull

Horner reacts to Wheatley leaving Red Bull

Wheatley will start work as team boss of Audi's Formula 1 team, now Sauber, after a mandatory period of gardening leave. It has been known that the 57-year-old Briton had ambitions of becoming team boss, and now he can start living up to that ambition at Audi, which will enter the F1 grid in 2026.

Horner is grateful to Wheatley for his long-standing commitment to Red Bull, where he has worked since 2006. "It has been a long and successful relationship with Jonathan, over 18 years. His contribution to six World Constructors’ Titles and seven World Drivers’ Championships, first as Team Manager and latterly Sporting Director will forever be a marker in our Team history," said the Red Bull team boss.

Over the years, Wheatley has played a key role in the Austrian team's successes. He helped ensure Red Bull was unbeatable at pit stops, but also played a key role in communication between the team and race management. Wheatley is Audi's latest major acquisition after former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto was announced as Chief Technical Officer by Sauber.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy