From controversial Abu Dhabi moment to team boss: Who is Jonathan Wheatley?

Jonathan Wheatley is about to take the next step in his Formula 1 career. He will start work as team boss of Audi that will be on the grid from 2026. He will team up with former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, who was recently announced as CTO at Sauber. But who is Wheatley and what was his path to the role?

Who is Jonathan Wheatley?

Jonathan Wheatley was born in May 1967 in Britain and started working in Formula 1 in the early 1990s. He first joined Benetton in 1991 as a junior mechanic. This immediately put Wheatley in the circle of World Champions, as Nelson Piquet was in the team at the time. By the end of his first season at Benetton, he was working with Michael Schumacher. The German made his debut in the same year.

He stayed with the team for a long time. They became World Champions with Schumacher in 1994 and 1995, and the team also won the Constructors Championship in 1995. Wheatley impressed and got promoted through the team. He ended up as Chief Mechanic in 2001. He stayed with the team when they switched to Renault and worked with the team when they toppled Schumacher's run of titles at Ferrari with Fernando Alonso in 2005. Alonso also won in 2006.

Wheatley left the Enstone-based team in 2006 to join Red Bull. At the time, Red Bull was very new in Formula 1, so this was deemed as a risk, seeing he was leaving the successful Renault team. Wheatley has played a key part in building Red Bull from the ground upwards. He is one of the main figureheads within the team, along with Christian Horner, Adrian Newey and others. He was first in the position of Team Manager and then Sporting Director. He won six world constructors' titles and seven world drivers' championships in his time at Red Bull (so far).

Under Wheatley's management, the Red Bull pit crew became the best in the paddock. Even when Red Bull were not winning Grands Prix, they were the strongest in other departments. They scooped up the Fastest Pitstop Awards, world records tumbled, and they successfully tried some ridiculous pitstop challenges.

Jonathan Wheatley and Abu Dhabi 2021

Wheatley was always a well-known name in Formula 1, but he became even more famous after the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Wheatley was on the pit wall when Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were going toe-to-toe for the World Championship. Using his knowledge of the sporting regulations, Wheatley had a conversation with Race Director Michael Masi.

He successfully lobbied Masi over the radio, and the safety car came in with one racing lap left to decide the World Championship. On fresher tyres, Verstappen overtook Hamilton to win his first World Championship.

Wheatley is now ready to take the next step in his Formula 1 career. The 57-year-old will jump ship after 18 years at Red Bull. He will join Audi as they embark on a brand new challenge in Formula 1.