After Adrian Newey (65), Red Bull Racing is also in danger of losing leader Jonathan Wheatley (56) in the short term. The feared exodus is therefore closer than Christian Horner previously led him to believe in Miami. Wheatley has the ambition to become team boss and has already made contacts with other teams, The Times reports.
Things may be going from bad to worse at Red Bull Racing. Where everything runs smoothly on a sporting level, things are rattling behind the scenes on all sides. It all started with the investigation into Horner’s inappropriate behavior. The team boss is said to have had sexually explicit contact with his assistant and this was reported by the woman in question. This matter still needs to be concluded, but since then much more has happened within the Austrian formation. The internal power struggle is coming to a climax and this is absolutely not beneficial for the people who work for Red Bull. It was suggested that Helmut Marko would be fired, Max Verstappen subsequently stepped up and Newey even officially submitted his resignation last week. Sporting director Wheatley now appears to be the next domino to fall. And what does this mean for Verstappen’s future?
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Wheatley wants to leave Red Bull, sounds out other F1 teams
The major British newspaper The Times headlines the article ‘Red Bull’s pit stop guru Jonathan Wheatley thinks about the future’, which states that they have exclusively learned that the sporting director has already reached out to other teams to work for them . He would prefer to work as a team boss, an ambition he has never hidden. ‘The Times understands that Wheatley, 56, has long-term ambitions to become team boss and has been sounding out other teams on the grid. Red Bull is [door de krant, red.] approached for comment,” they wrote. According to the medium, the ‘increasing uncertainty’ is also a reason for Wheatley to leave now. “The sporting director of Red Bull is thinking about his future due to the increasing uncertainty at Formula 1’s top team,” the newspaper said.
Red Bull CEO Mintzlaff lashes out at Wolff: ‘Verstappen? Focus on your own problems’Read more
Wheatley has doubts about future at Red Bull F1
Wheatley was negotiating a new contract with Red Bull, but the ongoing unrest is said to have given him doubts. With Newey already getting his bags ready, Wheatley could be next. The current sporting director has been working for the team from Milton Keynes since 2006 and has become one of the pillars. Under his leadership, Red Bull has managed to put together the best pit crew in Formula 1. If Wheatley leaves, McLaren CEO Zak Brown may well be right. He predicted a ‘domino effect’ after the announcement of Newey’s departure.
READ MORE: Brown drops bomb: ‘Newey first domino, Red Bull staff apply for a job with us’
What does this do to Max Verstappen?
Should Wheatley actually resign from his duties at Red Bull Racing, what does this mean for Verstappen’s future with the team? The Dutchman has repeatedly emphasized that the team must stay together. When Newey subsequently left, father Jos warned in De Telegraaf that the previously solid fortress seemed to be falling apart. If on top of that Wheatley, another key figure, leaves, then it may well be that Verstappen and his management draw their conclusions, also bearing in mind that Red Bull Powertrains is reportedly behind on its 2026 engine project.
2024-05-04 22:52:30
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