Jonathan Wheatley optimistic about Sauber’s future ahead of Audi era

According to Motorsport.com, Jonathan Wheatley — who joined Sauber three months ago — has expressed his enthusiasm ahead of the team’s transformation into Audi Formula 1 operation.

Under his leadership, the team has marked significant achievements — Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth in Austrian GP and Nico Hulkenberg secured his first podium after 239 races at British GP, which also marked Sauber’s first podium since 2012.

“It’s been wonderful working with the team. Matteo Binotto put in a huge amount of work before I arrived — I’ve just added a little bit of guidance here and there,” Wheatley stated.

“I grew up watching Audi Quattros smashing through the forest with flames coming out of the exhaust! Audi always did it differently and it’s fantastic to be part of that journey. It is probably the biggest thing in our sport at the moment.”

Despite facing major challenges to catch up with established teams, Wheatley remains optimistic — “We have to be humble about the challenge we face, but I firmly believe we’re going to be there. We’re on the road already.”