Audi team boss Jonathan Wheatley exits due to 'personal reasons'

Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley is leaving the organization just under one year after his arrival.

Per Audi on Friday, Wheatley is departing due to "personal reasons" and the move comes with "immediate effect." He joined Audi last April.

Mattia Binotto, the head of the Audi F1 project, will serve as the team principal with Audi.

"We are grateful to Jonathan Wheatley for his contribution to the project during the crucial entry phase and wish him all the best for the future," said Gernot Dollner, CEO of AUDI AG and chairman of the board of Management of Audi Motorsport AG.

"Mattia Binotto and the team will continue to pursue the path we have chosen with determination. Our focus remains unchanged: we are concentrating all our efforts on building a team competing at the highest level that will challenge for world championships in Formula 1 by 2030. We will continuously develop our organizational structures to achieve our shared goal in a sustainable manner."

Wheatley's departure came amid reports of a potential move to Aston Martin. However, that outfit's owner dismissed the notion that they are moving on from Adrian Newey.

"With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey's role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight," Lawrence Stroll said.

"As executive chairman and controlling shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder. He is AMR's managing technical partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.

"We do things differently here, and while we don't currently adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere -- it is by design.

"... We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumor and speculation."

--Field Level Media