Red Bull has agreed to let impending Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley take up the role earlier than planned, but McLaren will have to wait on Will Courtenay’s arrival.
Sauber announced last August that Wheatley would become the side’s new Team Principal in 2025 as it prepares to morph into the works Audi entry next term.
However, the Briton continued in his long-serving role as Red Bull’s Sporting Director across the entire 2024 season, which saw Max Verstappen log his fourth Drivers’ title.
Wheatley has since been placed on gardening leave to see out his Red Bull contract, with Audi stating in the past that his start date was “July 2025 at the latest”.
But according to Autosport, Red Bull has agreed to sanction an earlier release that will see Wheatley be permitted to begin his new position at Sauber months in advance.
Wheatley will instead inherit the post on 1 April, meaning he will miss the opening two rounds in Australia and China prior to being on the pit wall at the Japanese Grand Prix.
He will take on the duties that Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi had been tasked with managing since Frederic Vasseur’s departure to Ferrari in late 2022.
Sauber has since published that Alunni Bravi is departing to a “new venture”, having been with the Swiss-based group since being appointed to its board back in 2017.
READ MORE – Alessandro Alunni Bravi to step down from Sauber F1 roles
In the meantime, Sauber COO Mattia Binotto revealed in September that he will fill the void, the Swiss-Italian having been Ferrari team boss between 2019 and 2022.
“I know the dual roles in Formula 1 well too, so I will accept this job, even if I won’t be attending all the races,” Binotto said when he spoke to the media at Monza.
McLaren won’t get earlier Courtenay arrival
However, McLaren has been stopped in its tracks should the reigning champions attempt to negotiate with Red Bull over long-time Head of Race Strategy Courtenay.
Prior to poaching the Constructors’ title, McLaren announced that it had acquired Courtenay to become Sporting Director to help “grow the team’s sporting operation”.
But as a source told Motorsport Week at the time, Courtenay will “see out his contract until mid-2026” and will be on the Red Bull pit wall through the 2025 campaign.
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