Jonathan Wheatley has exited Audi with immediate effect, fueling speculation he's headed to Aston Martin. Rumors suggested Aston Martin pursued Wheatley to take over team principal duties, freeing Adrian Newey to focus solely on car design. Wheatley, who helped Sauber move up a championship spot and secured Nico Hulkenberg's first podium in a decade, departs as Mattia Binotto takes on expanded team principal responsibilities for the Audi F1 project.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll quickly pushed back on the speculation. Stroll clarified that Newey is a "managing technical partner" and shareholder, not a traditional team principal. Newey's primary focus remains strategic and technical leadership, supported by a senior team. Stroll added that while Aston Martin is frequently approached by executives, they do not comment on rumors. Audi now faces redefining its leadership structure as it targets championships by 2030, while Aston Martin's "by design" approach might still hold surprises.
Read the full story at RaceFans/Aston Martin