Jonathan Wheatley, has been involved in the motorsport world since the early 1990s. He started out as a mechanic, and worked his way up through the ranks. Wheatley worked as a mechanic with notable teams such as Benetton and Renault. He later became the sporting director of Red Bull Racing within Formula 1. He is very knowledgeable and has lots of experience working within motorsports. Jonathan Wheatley has been announced as the Audi Team Principal ahead of their 2026 campaign.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Wheatley was born on May 7th, 1967 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. The Brit grew up around motorsport and decided to pursue a career in as well. Wheatley began his career in motorsport at Benetton where he worked as a junior mechanic in the early 1990s.

Wheatley stayed loyal to the team, even when it was bought by Renault in 2000. The Brit worked with the Enstone-based team and quickly made his way through the ranks to become the chief mechanic from 2001 until 2006. Benetton and Renault were very successful when Wheatley was working for the team. During his time there, the Enstone-based team had secured two World Constructors’ Championships as well as a total of 33 Grand Prix victories.

Wheatley moved to Red Bull Racing in 2006 as the Sporting Director and his role was mainly to help the team ensure that they operated within the FIA Sporting regulations. He would handle communications between the stewards and engineers while also maintaining a leadership role within the team.

His time at Red Bull Racing was extremely successful and he contributed greatly to their dominant years. Throughout his time with the team, he secured six Constructor’s Championships and saw the team win six Driver’s Championships as well.

It was announced earlier in 2024 that Jonathan Wheatley would be leaving Red Bull Racing to join Audi as their Team Principal ahead of their 2026 racing campaign.

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Career and Achievements

Jonathan Wheatley has had a very successful career in motorsport and has many accolades within the industry. Wheatley started off as a junior mechanic for Benetton but quickly moved through the ranks and secured himself as the chief mechanic.

He stuck with the team through their re-brand to Renault and continued to work as the chief mechanic up until 2006. At the end of 2006, the Brit left the Enstone-based team to work for Red Bull Racing. 

Wheatley joined the team in 2006 and majorly contributed to their success between the years of 2010-2013 and 2021-2023. With his time at the team, Wheatley saw the team win six Constructors’ Championships and six Drivers’ Championships.

The Stake F1 team will be re-branding to Audi in 2026 and Jonathan Wheatley will be leading the team as their Team Principal.

Net Worth and Salary

At this time, Jonathan Wheatley's net worth is unknown to the general public. His net worth is expected to be high considering his long and successful career within motorsport. Despite the exact details of his current salary being unknown, it is assumed that Wheatley has received a significant increase to his earnings based on his future position as the Audi Team Principal starting in 2026.

Personal Life

Jonathan Wheatley leads a very private personal life. It is believed that he does not currently have a spouse or significant other. It is important to respect the privacy of others and to note that personal lives and information can change very quickly.

Future Prospects

With his long and successful career in motorsport, there is no doubt that Jonathan Wheatley is sure to do well when heads to Audi as the Team Principal in 2026. His in-depth knowledge of the sport and the inner workings of the Formula cars is sure to assist his leadership in the future.