Martin Brundle is ‘sure’ of Audi’s next steps in F1 after hiring Jonathan Wheatley from Red Bull

Follow us on Google Discover

Martin Brundle is ‘sure’ of the next steps that Audi will take after hiring Red Bull chief Jonathan Wheatley as the team principal of Sauber ahead of taking over the F1 team.

It is still 16 months away before the Audi name finally officially enters Formula 1 for the first time. But the German automotive giant is already hard at work trying to get Sauber into the right condition to be rebranded as its works entry after an underwhelming season this term.

Sauber went into the summer break as the only team yet to score a single point in the 2024 Formula 1 season. Only outgoing Williams driver Logan Sargeant has also failed to score any points like Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, and both are also out of contract after this year.

Martin Brundle is ‘sure’ that Audi will build Sauber around Jonathan Wheatley

Audi is currently deciding if either of Zhou or Bottas deserves to be kept for another year at Sauber next season. The four rings of Ingolstadt has already gifted Nico Hulkenberg a multi-year contract as a works Audi driver to switch Haas for Sauber in 2025 and take up one seat.

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has also returned to F1 as the chief operating and chief technical officer of Audi/Sauber. He replaced Andreas Seidl at the helm to correct the direction the Hinwil, Switzerland natives were heading before Wheatley agreed to join.

READ MORE: All to know about Jonathan Wheatley as Audi/Sauber sign new team principal

Wheatley is currently the sporting director of Red Bull and will stay in Milton Keynes for the rest of 2024. The Briton will then have a period of gardening leave and join Audi/Sauber no later than July 2025. But Brundle is confident that Audi will not stop at appointing Wheatley.

“Alpine would have been of interest to him,” Brundle told Sky Sports F1 (24/08, 13:22). “We now know he’s going to Sauber, which is Audi effectively, it will be a big works team. I’m sure the team will then put other pieces into place. But he’s got a huge amount of experience”

Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto face a tough task turning Sauber around

Alpine were also in the market to appoint a new team principal this summer as Bruno Famin stepped aside to resume his primary role as vice-president of the entire Alpine Motorsports division. The Renault-owned crew opted to name Oliver Oakes as the new Alpine team boss.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Sauber and Audi F1 chief Mattia Binotto

Only a day passed between Alpine hiring Oakes and Audi announcing Wheatley as the soon-to-be Sauber team principal. Now, Audi’s focus shifts to naming Hulkenberg’s teammate for the 2025 F1 season, ahead of rebranding Sauber under F1’s major 2026 regulation changes.

Wheatley and Binotto could have their work cut out to turn Sauber into the team that Audi desires for 2026. Doubts remain about the car the engineers in Hinwil will create under the fresh chassis regulations. But Audi is backed to produce a ‘cannon of an engine’ come 2026.