BEYOND THE GRID: Jonathan Wheatley on leading Kick Sauber forward into the Audi era

As the new Team Principal of Kick Sauber, Jonathan Wheatley is taking on one of the most exciting projects in Formula 1.

With Benetton, Renault and Red Bull Racing, Wheatley has won 19 World Championships over the last 34 years. Now, after nearly two decades as Red Bull’s Sporting Director, he’s in a very different role with a very different team.

READ MORE: Wheatley vows to lead Kick Sauber ‘in my own way’ as he explains challenge ahead of Audi’s arrival

And not just any team, because, in 2026, Sauber will become Audi's works outfit.

Speaking to Beyond The Grid host Tom Clarkson, Wheatley explains why he’s chosen to make such a big change in his career, how his experience of winning at the very highest level will help Audi achieve their goals and the differences between Sauber and Red Bull.

Wheatley also shares stories of working with Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – revealing the common trait that makes them such great World Champions.

He talks about the unique connection he made with Ayrton Senna in the pit lane, the ‘uncomfortable’ team debrief with Vettel and Mark Webber after their infamous ‘Multi 21’ incident, what it takes to produce the perfect pit stop and his memories of Schumacher’s first title win at Adelaide in 1994.

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To listen to this week’s episode of Beyond The Grid, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.

You can also check out a huge selection of previous episodes – spanning every decade of F1 – in our dedicated Beyond The Grid library here.