When Audi completes its acquisition of the Sauber F1 team in 2026, Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley, two recent appointments, will establish a “dual management” structure within the team, the German automaker has stated.
Oliver Hoffmann, the chairman of the board, and Andreas Seidl, the CEO of the Sauber team, were recently fired due to a rumored internal power struggle. With about eighteen months until Audi officially joins the Formula 1 grid, the German automaker has started laying the foundation for the team’s managerial structure.
Then came the announcement of the appointment of Binotto, the former principal of the Ferrari team, and the signing of Wheatley, the sporting director of Red Bull, who signed a contract to join for the 2025 season. In July 2025, he will start his new position after taking a gardening leave.
As part of a dual management system, Audi has delineated the responsibilities of each team head. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG, Audi CEO Gernot Dollner will receive direct reports from the two.
Wheatley will act as the media representative and supervise team operations during events. In the meanwhile, CTO and COO Binotto will oversee the technical department of the factory in Hinwil, which will be in charge of designing and developing new Audi vehicles. They will also be in charge of the team’s engine plant in Neuburg.
In a formal statement, Dollner provided an explanation of the dual management:
The choice to have two management teams is a component of the factory team’s control structure being realigned in light of Audi’s acquisition of all of the Sauber Group’s shares.
“I’m thrilled that Jonathan Wheatley will be leading our upcoming Formula 1 squad as our team principal.
“Jonathan has a wealth of paddock expertise and has contributed significantly to numerous Formula 1 race triumphs and world championship titles thus far in his career. He is a tremendous asset to our group.
“With Jonathan and Mattia’s appointments, we have made a significant advancement toward our Formula 1 debut.
“I am confident that we have combined an incredibly high level of competence for Audi with the two of them.
“Their skills and experience will enable us to quickly establish ourselves in the highly competitive world of Formula 1.”
Binotto elaborated on the statement, saying:
“I’ve known Jonathan for a long time, and I consider him to be a very knowledgeable and dedicated motorsports specialist.
“Since 2026 is not too far off, I’m excited to work with Jonathan to establish and successfully run Audi’s new racing team.”
Wheatley conveyed his enthusiasm and anticipation for the Audi collaboration with Binotto. He declared:
“I shall depart with many happy memories and am incredibly delighted to have been a part of the adventure over the last eighteen years.
“That being said, I am excited about the challenge and the unique opportunity to be a member of Audi’s Formula 1 entry as the leader of a factory team.
“I’m happy to be collaborating on this exciting project with Mattia, whom I’ve known for a long time,” the speaker added.