Horner makes shock reveal as Red Bull brace for team principal EXIT.
Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull Formula 1, has unveiled a surprising revelation as the team prepares for an important departure.
In 2025 and 2026, the sport is poised for numerous changes, particularly with Red Bull experiencing a substantial transformation as the new season begins. To enhance their prospects for 2025, the team has replaced Sergio Perez by promoting junior driver Liam Lawson to race with the main team this year.
In addition to changes in the driver lineup, the team is expected to undergo several other major transformations. The year 2025 will mark the end of their partnership with Honda and will also see key figures like technical chief Adrian Newey and sporting director Jonathan Wheatley leaving the organization.
Wheatley is set to become the team principal for Audi’s F1 project in 2026. However, he has reportedly begun a gardening leave before officially leaving his current team.
Consequently, he cannot currently work for Sauber, which will transform into Audi in 2026.In a surprising turn of events, Horner revealed that he had actually urged Wheatley to accept Audi F1’s offer and leave the team.
He mentioned seeing it as an outstanding opportunity for Wheatley while providing Red Bull with a chance to promote internal talent. Speaking to Racing News365, Horner expressed confidence that this individual will prove invaluable to Sauber.
Horner revealed that he encouraged Jonathan Wheatley to leave Red Bull. The duties of a team principal differ significantly between teams, depending on the specific responsibilities and functions involved.
It is primarily centered around trackside activities.A lot will depend on how he engages with Mattia Binotto. He’s been eager about this for some time, so I urged him to take the opportunity when it presented itself.
This move opens doors for others at Red Bull and offers a significant career advancement for him. I encouraged him with all my support, urging him to pursue it eagerly. “Go for it,” I told him, “You’ll regret not giving it a shot!”if you don’t.”
