Jonathan Wheatley will start work as Sauber’s new F1 team principal on 1 April, with his f🥀irst appearance at the track set to come i🅷n Japan.

Last August it was announced that Wheatley would leave his role as Red Bull sporting director to become tea🍷m principal of the soon-to-be Audi F1 team.

At the time a start date was not formalised, with Sauber saying W💦heatley would join “by July 2025 at the latest” following a🔯 period of gardening leave.

But in a boost f🍨or🎃 the Hinwil-based squad, Wheatley will now take up his position from April 1, enabling him to start work sooner than initially anticipated.

Sauber have also conf🍌irmed that he will make his race debut as team principal a🍸t the Japanese Grand Prix, the third round of the 2025 world championship on 6 April.

German car giant Audi have taken over the Swiss-based Sa💦uber operation and will officially ente💃r the sport with their own car and engine in 2026.

Wheatley will be tasked with jointly leading the manageꦍment team at Sauber alongside chief operating officer and chief technical officer Mattia Binotto.

Both Wheatley and Binotto will report directly to Gernot Dölꦓlner in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sauber Motorsport AG.

According🐼 to Sauber, the team struct𓂃ure in place “empowers both leaders with clearly defined roles and deliverables”.

It had emerged at the start of the year that Sauber was set to get hold of Wh🉐eatley earlier than originally planned after an arrangement was reached with Red Bull.

In January, Sauber also co🌳nfᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚirmed that team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi would depart the squad. The Italian has since joined McLaren as chief business affairs officer.