Jonathan Wheatley
Jonathan Wheatley | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1967 United Kingdom |
| Occupation(s) | Motorsport manager and engineer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Team principal of Sauber, former sporting director at Red Bull Racing |
Jonathan Wheatley (born 7 May 1967) is a British professional in motorsport management and engineering. Since 2025, he has held the position of team principal at Sauber competing in Formula One. Prior to this role, Wheatley was the sporting director at Red Bull and previously worked as chief mechanic for both Benetton and Renault.
Throughout his career, Wheatley has played a part in securing eight World Constructors' Championship titles: one during his time as a mechanic with Benetton (), one as Renault’s chief mechanic (), four while serving as team manager at Red Bull (–), and two more as Red Bull’s sporting director (–).
Benetton / Renault (1991–2006)
Wheatley started his Formula One journey at Benetton in the early 1990s, initially working as a junior mechanic. He advanced to chief mechanic from 2001 until 2006 before transitioning to Red Bull Racing. While based at Enstone, the team achieved two World Constructors' Championships alongside 33 Grand Prix victories.
Red Bull (2006–2024)
Joining Red Bull in 2006, Wheatley took on the role of Team Manager and later became Sporting Director in 2018. His responsibilities included ensuring adherence to FIA sporting rules, managing communications, and overseeing the pit crew—recognized as one of the swiftest in Formula One. Under his guidance, Red Bull recorded a then-world fastest pit stop time of 1.82 seconds during the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, breaking their own previous record of 1.88 seconds. This benchmark remained unbeaten until the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
During Wheatley’s tenure at Milton Keynes, Red Bull secured six World Constructors' Championships and won 120 Grands Prix.
On 1 August 2024, Red Bull declared that Wheatley would depart at the conclusion of the season to become the inaugural Team Principal for Audi, following a period of gardening leave.
Sauber / Audi (2025–present)
In August 2024, it was revealed that Wheatley would assume leadership as Sauber’s first team principal for the season under Audi’s ownership. However, after Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi left prematurely in January, Wheatley’s gardening leave was cut short, leading to an earlier release from Red Bull than initially scheduled. He officially began his role as Sauber’s Team Principal on 1 April, shortly before the commencement of the Grand Prix. During the initial races—the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix—Chief Operating and Technical Officer Mattia Binotto fulfilled the duties of interim Team Principal.