Bortoleto “wouldn’t say it’s a surprise” that Wheatley departed from Audi

Written by Mia Wallace, Edited by Marit Everett

Credit: Formula One

Audi faces a shocking shake-up as Wheatley exits. But was his departure pre-determined? Gabriel Bortoleto reveals his insight.

In a season built around the largest regulatory overhaul in the history of the sport, it is expected for unforecasted changes to shake up the grid. Even still, the sudden departure of Jonathan Wheatley from Audi is a move that many did not see coming in the slightest. 

Gabriel Bortoleto, one of two drivers for Audi, admits that Wheatley’s shocking exit was actually not as big of a surprise to him as it was to the rest of the Formula One world. 

"I wouldn't say it's a surprise,” he said. “Obviously it's a short period of time, it's only two races, he has been with us last year as well so it's not only that he has done two races."

Audi had released a statement that Wheatley had left “due to personal reasons”, however those reasons were not explicitly disclosed by the team. When asked for his understanding of Wheatley’s leave, Bortoleto expanded on what he knew of these “personal reasons”. 

"I think he couldn't commit to the project fully because he had personal things that he made public, and when you have personal things you need to put in place, that's the priority." said Bortoleto.

Despite everything, the Audi driver remained positive when discussing Wheatley, and it’s evident that he still credits him for the team’s success up to this point. 

"He put everyone in a good place, we were improving in a lot of areas.” he said. “I think he brought some positivity to the team and I think one of the things we always aim for inside this team, not only with one person but with everyone, is that we are a team and we do things as a team so we don't depend on one person.”

Wheatley’s spot will now be filled by Mattia Binotto, who assumes full responsibility for Audi’s new F1 program, overseeing both strategy and technical development. Already possessing previous team principal experience, Binotto brings proven leadership to the table. 

Bortoleto remains confident in his new leader, trusting that Binotto can guide the Audi squad in spite of the sudden transition. 

"Mattia is taking over completely and taking full responsibility. He's a guy that I fully trust and a guy that gave me the opportunity to be in F1 so I'm extremely grateful and I'm also very optimistic about what he can bring with more responsibility."

As the weekend progresses, Audi will be tested under Binotto’s leadership in a post-Wheatley era. With a newly-constructed brand and a restructured strategy, the German outfit certainly has an array of tools to help maintain momentum.

Will they flourish in the face of new leadership, or will they struggle under public uncertainty?