Kick Sauber confirm Wheatley’s start date as new Team Principal

Kick Sauber have confirmed that Jonathan Wheatley will officially become their Team Principal on April 1, 2025.

Wheatley, who has long served as Red Bull’s Sporting Director, was announced in the position last August, but the Swiss team stopped short of communicating an exact start date.

Now, that date has been finalised for the beginning of next month, with Wheatley’s race debut to follow at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Wheatley will lead the management team at Sauber Motorsport AG alongside Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technical Officer Mattia Binotto.

In their respective positions, both Binotto and Wheatley will report directly to Gernot Döllner in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG.

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It comes as German car manufacturer Audi prepare to take over Sauber’s entry and make it their own works operation from the 2026 season onwards.

Wheatley’s career in F1 started with Benetton in the early 1990s, where he climbed the ranks to become Chief Mechanic and remained there through the team’s Renault guise.

He joined Red Bull’s new team in 2006, achieving significant success – including six Teams’ and seven Drivers’ titles – as Sporting Director.

Kick Sauber’s press release added that Binotto and Wheatley will be “jointly responsible for the success of the racing team” as part of a structure “that empowers both leaders with clearly defined roles and deliverables”.

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At the time of his announcement as Sauber’s team boss last year, Wheatley said: “I am extremely proud to have been a part of the Red Bull Racing journey over the last 18 years and will leave with many fond memories.

“However, the opportunity to play an active part in Audi’s entry into Formula 1 as head of a factory team is a uniquely exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge.

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“Also I am glad to be working together with Mattia, whom I have known for many years and who is the right person to collaborate with in this exciting project.”

Kick Sauber head into the 2025 campaign with an all-new driver line-up of German Nico Hulkenberg and Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto, having parted ways with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the end of last year.