Red Bull Faces New Challenge as Jonathan Wheatley Exits for Audi: Speculation Rises Over Gianpiero Lambiase’s Role

New challenge arises for Red Bull as Jonathan Wheatley exits

"There's been speculation that Gianpiero Lambiase could take over the sporting director position"

Red Bull is facing a challenge in finding a replacement for Jonathan Wheatley.

At the conclusion of this season, Wheatley will step down from his position as Red Bull’s sporting director and will assume the role of team principal for Audi.

Audi maintains that he will be on board no later than July 2025 following a stint of gardening leave, whereas Red Bull has committed to finding a successor from within their organization.

On the Sky F1 podcast, Ted Kravitz commented, “Another question is who will they find to take his place? Considering his importance in understanding the rules and maintaining a highly efficient race team, how will they manage to distribute his responsibilities?”

“There are several individuals at Red Bull who started as mechanics and have advanced to higher positions. For example, Wheatley was once the chief mechanic at Benetton.”

"I can see those individuals advancing since they are familiar with the regulations."

There has been some speculation that Gianpiero Lambiase could take on the position of sporting director.

“I believe he enjoys the excitement and competitive nature of racing on a weekly basis and doesn't want to give it up.

"Competing and winning races and championships is enjoyable, but it can lose its appeal. I'm uncertain if GP is ready to walk away from that."

"Red Bull plans to fill positions internally. They may appoint two individuals: one as a lead mechanic to oversee the race team's pit stops, and another who is well-versed in regulations to take on the sporting director position."

Wheatley has earlier explained his duties as a sporting director, highlighting how his deep understanding of F1 regulations benefits Red Bull on race days: “The manner in which I approach my job is quite intense because I consider every possible scenario, study the rules, anticipate the team's responses, and then formulate a plan.”

Jonathan Wheatley faces a media challenge

Audi has made significant investments in preparation for their complete entry in 2026, appointing Wheatley as the team principal and Mattia Binotto as the Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer.

"Wheatley has many responsibilities, especially collaborating with Binotto, whom he is already familiar with," stated Kravitz.

“He is an expert when it comes to the rules. No one else has a better understanding of the rule book than he does."

"He must familiarize himself with everyone's names, grasp the language, and comprehend their working methods before deciding if any changes are necessary."

"Will he attend the team principals’ meeting himself, or will he delegate it to Binotto?"

Kravitz stated: "The expert in regulations, who has secured victories and championships for Red Bull due to his deep understanding of the rules and their applications, is leaving."

"Did he always aspire to become a team principal? I think so. He's driven, just like the majority of individuals in Formula 1."

Christian Horner is staying put. Earlier this year, the media speculated that Wheatley might replace Horner if needed, but it has since been confirmed that this change isn't happening.

“I doubt that Wheatley would have promoted his name to the press.

"Wheatley will need to address the press. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a comprehensive interview with him. Red Bull has given us permission to discuss with Wheatley about their team's excellence in performing pit stops."

"Wheatley is set to conduct his initial major interviews with individuals."

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