Jonathan Wheatley opens up about leaving Red Bull for Audi F1, driven by ambition, opportunity, and a desire for fresh challenges.
Jonathan Wheatley never expected to reach the level he has in Formula 1. Now heading Sauber F1, he once thought he would remain for a long time in a mid-level management role at Jordan. Last year, he once again faced a choice and turned toward a new challenge.
“I’ve said this before and no one believes me: I was very unambitious,” Wheatley told Racer. “I joined Formula 1 as a car mechanic at Benetton, and then Michael Schumacher arrived. I was only supposed to stay a few years, but then Michael came along, so I thought I’d stay a few more years.”
“I stayed a few more years and got promoted, and before I knew it, I had been there for 16 years and was chief mechanic of the race team, at a time when people like Andy Stevenson and others had major responsibilities as chief mechanic of the race team.”
“Then I was offered a move to Red Bull and I really hesitated, because a team, for me, is like a family and to leave one, you need to be really, really sure about what you’re doing. Then, suddenly, I became a team manager and, a bit later, sporting director.”
“Last year, in Miami, I started getting calls about the opportunity to take my career in perhaps a slightly different direction, and my wife and I looked into it.”
“We asked ourselves, ‘What are we doing? Are we going to keep counting the days where we are? Do we take one of these opportunities in the UK or do we go with this one at Sauber?’”
“Honestly, the moment I had a conversation with Gernot Döllner about it, I was so excited about the Audi project that the decision made itself.”
Originally, my wife Emma was supposed to stay in the UK and I would commute between countries, but I think we both said to ourselves ‘you get what you pay for, you get what you pay for’ and now we’re Swiss residents, and so is our dog.
Wheatley would not have left for any offer other than the one from Sauber and Audi, and he did not leave Red Bull because of conflict or tension. “I think it’s a matter of opportunity, and I can understand why people look back at what was going on at the time and think it was part of the story.”
“That may have been the case, but not consciously. I mean, honestly, it was about the opportunity of a lifetime and putting myself in a situation where every day I would be completely out of my comfort zone for a very long time.”
“And for me, it was the chance to dive into something again, to get involved in a project where I could make a huge contribution. That’s the opportunity Audi gave me, and that was decisive.”
Wheatley is glad to be working alongside Mattia Binotto in leading Sauber, and he insists there will be no tension over that. “We both report to Gernot Döllner, so we are running this team side by side. And it’s a Venn diagram.”
“For Mattia, it’s about integrating the car, chassis, and engine like never before, and building the most powerful and fastest race car possible. Then, once the car leaves the factory, my team takes over and, along with the commercial and communications aspects, we manage that side of the business. Mattia and I have known each other since 2006, when Ferrari was supplying engines to Red Bull. We got along very well, and we always have.”
“We agreed from the start that, like in all Venn diagrams, there’s an area where the circles overlap and that we would be completely indifferent to those areas — we would simply do what we believe is best for the team. Eight weeks into the project, I’m a very happy man working with someone I appreciate and who we mutually support.”
Now, he wants Sauber to take steps forward. “On a personal level, I’m an extremely driven person. I always have been. I think about the next race, the one after — how can we improve? And I try to bring everyone on that journey with me.”
“We are not satisfied with where we are now. We know where we need to go and we’re on the right path to get there. It’s not a straight line from here to there, otherwise I could go to the board and say: ‘We’ll end up here,’ but we’re just showing the path to get there. There will be ups and downs along the way, and progress won’t always be visible on track.”
“Operational systems are working better — that doesn’t show on track. People are communicating better and parts are getting to the circuit a little faster — that doesn’t show up in terms of performance on track. So the journey won’t always be visible, but we’ll know that we’re on the right track and achieving our goals.”
“We haven’t yet put everything in place in terms of foundations, but everything is planned and everything is coming. That’s where we’re starting from, and honestly, it’s not a bad starting point. We have a fantastic facility which we’re looking to expand — to build a campus, to grow.”
“We recognize that there is talent in the UK that can be integrated into a UK-based hub, and I think we’ll speak a bit more about that [soon]. This is Audi. We don’t do things halfway. We are here to win races and championships.”
“That’s what’s driven me for the past 34 years and I have no doubt that we can go from where we are now to where we need to be. I’m absolutely, sincerely, and honestly convinced that we will be among the best and that we will win races and championships.”
Indeed, Wheatley is ambitious when it comes to results. “As far as my competitiveness is concerned, it hasn’t gone away. The only person I know who’s probably more competitive is Adrian Newey.”
“That’s what pushes you to always be the best of the best. This sport attracts incredibly talented people and I’m still learning every day from the team around me. There’s always something new to learn, always something new driving you forward.”
