David Coulthard makes Michael Schumacher comparison talking about Jonathan Wheatley leaving Red Bull

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Another piece of the Red Bull puzzle that has delivered two periods of Formula 1 dominance will be leaving at the end of the season.

After watching Rob Marshall make an immediate impact at McLaren and with Adrian Newey’s departure to an as-yet-unknown destination looming, Red Bull announced that sporting director Jonathan Wheatley will be joining Audi as their new team principal.

Wheatley will be in place at Audi before their Formula 1 debut in 2026 and has plenty of work to get on with.

He’ll have to wait before he can undertake all the tasks facing him as Red Bull will place the 57-year-old on gardening leave next year.

READ MORE: Who is Jonathan Wheatley? All you need to know about Audi/Sauber’s new team principal

It leaves Red Bull at a crossroads with their rivals quickly reducing the advantage they held last year and a new set of regulations to understand in 2026.

Speaking on the RaceExpress YouTube channel while working for Red Bull, David Coulthard has shared his thoughts about Wheatley’s departure.

Coulthard shared that he had worked with Wheatley in the past and he joined the team from Benetton in 2006 while the Scot was racing for Red Bull.

The 13-time race winner then made a comparison between Wheatley’s move to Audi and Michael Schumacher’s career.

Schumacher dominated Formula 1 for years but eventually, the sport reached a point where he handed the baton to other drivers to lead the way.

Coulthard can see a very similar thing happening within the Red Bull team once Wheatley departs.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links

David Coulthard makes comparison between Michael Schumacher and David Wheatley ahead of Red Bull exit

Asked about Wheatley leaving Red Bull, Coulthard said: “Jonathan I’ve known since karting, he used to wear white gloves as a mechanic which was a real sign of his attention to detail.

“Jonathan has grown up through the motor racing ranks and has been a loyal servant to Red Bull Racing.

“But as true as Michael Schumacher retired and other great drivers will eventually pass through the sport, it’s inevitable that motivated people, hungry people will never stay in one location for the entirety of their career.

“So, I think it’s a great compliment to Red Bull that he’s been headhunted effectively to head up the new Audi team and they need the very best people to try and give them an opportunity to be successful in Formula One.

“But there’s strength in depth within the team, there’s great people there that inevitably now have the chance to grow within the team.

“I’m sure Jonathan is already helping bring on whoever the sporting director will be within the team.”

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Max Verstappen ally is being considered to replace Jonathan Wheatley at Red Bull

Wheatley won’t be an easy person to replace within the Red Bull structure although the team plan to hire internally to fill his position.

Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is being considered to take on some of Wheatley’s responsibilities.

However, his position as sporting director might be split into two roles that would also include a team manager position that would involve dealing directly with the FIA.

Success in Formula 1 is cyclical and Red Bull will be hoping that recent high-profile departures won’t signal the end of their time at the top of the sport.

However, losing this many talented people at once won’t be easy to manage and may even give Verstappen something to think about with a seat at Mercedes still available for next year.