Aston Martin release statement just minutes after Audi confirm Jonathan Wheatley’s exit

Jonathan Wheatley’s shock exit from Audi just two races into the new Formula 1 season was immediately followed up by a statement from Aston Martin.

Wheatley was appointed in April 2025 as the team principal of Sauber, who were later taken over by Audi.

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He is rumoured to be joining the English car company, but if he is to make the move, it will be to work with managing technical partner Adrian Newey and not to replace him.

That is because owner Lawrence Stroll has released a statement through Aston Martin‘s official channels to confirm that Newey is still a very important figure even if his role could change.

New change?

The statement read: “With the current speculation surrounding Adrian Newey’s role in our team, I want to take this opportunity to set the record straight.

“As Executive Chairman and Controlling Shareholder, I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder.

“He is AMR’s Technical Partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.

“We do things differently here, and while we currently don’t adopt the traditional Team Principal role that you see elsewhere – it is by design.

“As the most successful engineer in the history of the sport, Adrian’s primary focus is on the strategic and technical leadership where he excels.

“He is supported by a highly skilled Senior Leadership Team to deliver on all aspects of the business, both at the Campus and trackside.

“We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”

This statement follows Newey’s role slightly changing at Aston Martin since Andy Cowell moved into a new job.

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Newey is best known for designing winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull before joining Aston Martin in 2025.

The feeling is that he could do without having to be the team principal as well as the role that Stroll detailed in the statement.

And there was no attempt by Stroll to dismiss any speculation about Wheatley joining.

Wheatley’s future

Audi’s venture into F1 has already been disrupted by the departure of Wheatley just two races into their inaugural season.

They said in a short statement: “Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley ​will depart the team with immediate effect.

“The team’s future structure will be fully defined at a ​later stage, as the organisation continues to adapt to the evolving ​environment of Formula One.”