Former Red Bull Racing sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has expressed surprise at the statistical findings comparing Red Bull and Sauber Formula One teams. Wheatley announced his Red Bull exit mid-2024 and joined Sauber this year as team principal, but little did he expect that things would turn around so quickly.
Sauber has been undergoing several changes at many levels before Audi completes the full takeover of the outfit in 2026. The year is also a historical period for F1, given the new chassis and engine regulations that kick in for the first time in over a decade.
The year will also mark the entry of automotive giant General Motors. GM’s Cadillac F1 is gearing up to enter the grid next year as the eleventh team. But Audi has been revamping Sauber’s operations since last year as Sauber continued to race in the premier class.
The German marque appointed former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto as the chief operating officer and chief technical officer. Wheatley’s Sauber joining this year completes the team’s dual management structure. Given that managerial changes impact track performance, Sauber’s chosen direction has yielded positive results thus far.
The Hinwil-based outfit finished last in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship after having scored a mere four points. With twelve rounds ticked so far in 2025, Sauber is sixth in the championship with 41 points, a stark contrast to last year. Notably, Nico Hulkenberg contributed 31 points to the team’s tally.
An overhauled leadership and updated driver lineup, combined with timely upgrades on the C45 F1 car, have led to significant improvements. Surprisingly, Hulkenberg’s points tally this season so far is higher than what Red Bull’s second driver scored in the last eleven months.
Max Verstappen has raced alongside three different teammates since the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, namely Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, and now Yuki Tsunoda. All three drivers collectively scored 28 points since the race in Zandvoort. When Wheatley was asked about the impressive turnaround in Sauber’s performance, he told RacingNews365:
“I would never have believed it possible. I know the quality of that operation. I know the talent of the people who are there.
“It’s interesting that when you leave one team for another, even a team competing for world championships and coming to a team aspiring to compete for world championships, there are things done better there, and things done better here.
“That’s the fascinating thing with this sport. There is so much talent in it.”
Wheatley is confident that Sauber is on the right path. He added:
“Of course, Mattia and I, our job is to try to channel the team, direct it in the right direction, and get it moving in that direction. My feeling is the ship’s turning, and we’re starting to point the right way.”
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