Overview
- At the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, Mattia Binotto said Audi released Jonathan Wheatley after Wheatley disclosed he could not commit long term for personal reasons, and he added the team will name support for race weekends soon.
- Binotto explained he cannot absorb more duties and must focus on the Hinwil factory and power unit development, so a dedicated trackside lead will cover weekend operations.
- Aston Martin’s Pedro de la Rosa said Jonathan Wheatley is not joining the Silverstone team for the time being, and industry expectations of gardening leave make a quick switch unlikely.
- Inside the garage, Nico Hülkenberg said he learned of the departure from a news alert his mother sent him, while Gabriel Bortoleto said he was not surprised and pointed to Wheatley’s private matters.
- Wheatley joined the Sauber-to-Audi project in 2025 and left after only two races of 2026, a notable change for a rebranded works team that has two points from Bortoleto’s ninth place in Australia.