Red Bull prepares an internal promotion, with Lambiase set to take Wheatley’s role.
Christian Horner has hinted that Red Bull is poised to launch a significant recruitment drive following the departure of Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley.
This week, Red Bull announced that Wheatley would be leaving the team at the end of the 2024 F1 season to join Audi as a team director. The German manufacturer has acquired the existing Sauber team for its entry into the sport in 2026.
Wheatley had been considered a potential successor to Christian Horner amid the recent turmoil within the team. However, Horner has retained his position despite the ongoing scandal, which may take a legal turn in the coming months. Following this, Wheatley chose not to renew his contract, preferring to seek new challenges—a quest he has fulfilled with Audi F1.
For Horner, Wheatley’s departure comes as no surprise.
“I knew that Jonathan wanted to leave if he could step up to a team director role. Why not? It’s a logical progression for him.”
“For us, he’s a very experienced yet costly individual, whose salary will enable me to hire several engineers.”
To manage costs and strengthen the team, Horner will thus favor an internal promotion.
“As I mentioned in the announcement, Red Bull Racing has great strength in its staff, and this is an opportunity to advance other team members.”
“We will announce a new team structure in the coming weeks.”
Early speculation suggests a shift back to a team manager role rather than that of sporting director for the new structure. Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer, is reportedly well-placed for this promotion.
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Lambiase Likely Successor in Red Bull Reshuffle Lambiase Likely Successor in Red Bull Reshuffle
