Pink Bull’s dilemma for the way to change Jonathan Wheatley has been picked out.
Wheatley will exit his function as Pink Bull’s sporting director on the finish of this season to develop into Audi’s staff principal.
Audi insist he’ll be a part of by July 2025 on the newest after a interval of gardening go away, whereas Pink Bull have vowed to look internally for a alternative.
Ted Kravitz stated on the Sky F1 podcast: “Who will they get to interchange him is the opposite query? Being such a priceless man by way of the foundations and retaining a razor sharp race staff, how will they divide it up?
“I can consider fairly just a few guys inside Pink Bull who had been mechanics however have risen by to senior roles. Wheatley was once a chief mechanic at Benetton.
“I can think about these guys shifting up, they know the foundations as properly.
“Some folks have speculated that Gianpiero Lambiase would possibly go into that sporting director function.
“I don’t assume he needs to depart the minimize and thrust, and the enjoyable, of racing each week.
“That’s enjoyable, till it’s not. It’s enjoyable successful races and championships. I’m unsure if GP needs to depart that.
“Pink Bull will promote from inside. They may get two folks. A chief mechanic who will run the race staff pit stops, and so they’ll discover somebody who is aware of the foundations properly for the sporting director function.”
Wheatley has beforehand described his sporting director function, the place his information of the F1 guidelines offers Pink Bull a bonus throughout race weekends: “The way in which I do my job is insane in a whole lot of methods as a result of I feel by each single state of affairs that I feel may occur and I take a look at the foundations and I take a look at how the staff would possibly react and I attempt to give you an concept.”
Media problem awaits Jonathan Wheatley
Audi’s main funding, forward of their full 2026 entry, consists of Wheatley as staff principal and Mattia Binotti as Chief Working and Chief Technical Officer.
“Wheatley has acquired rather a lot to do, working with Binotto who he already is aware of,” Kravitz.
“His experience is as the foundations man. He is aware of the rule guide higher than anybody else on this planet.
“He must be taught everybody’s identify, be taught the language, perceive how they work earlier than figuring out whether or not he wants to alter it.
“Will he flip as much as staff principals’ assembly or will he go away it to Binotto?”
Kravitz added: “The principles man, who has received Pink Bull races and championships due to his innate information of the foundations and the way they can be utilized, he’s going.
“Did he at all times have ambitions to be a staff principal? I suppose so. He’s formidable, as most individuals in F1 are.
“Christian Horner isn’t going anyplace. Earlier within the yr, Wheatley was supposed by the media as a possible Horner alternative if that was crucial, which now we all know it isn’t.
“I don’t assume Wheatley can have pushed his identify to the media.
“Wheatley must face the media. I don’t assume I’ve seen an in-depth interview with Wheatley. Pink Bull have allowed us to speak to him, to speak about Pink Bull being the most effective at pit stops.
“Wheatley must do his first large interviews with folks.”
