Sauber confirms future of longstanding director as Wheatley begins as team chief

Ahead of its 2026 Formula 1 entry, Audi has confirmed that Beat Zehnder is taking the role of director of signature programs and operations.

As former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley officially starts in his role as Sauber F1 team principal today, there had been reports that this could result in Zehnder leaving the Swiss-based team.

Zehnder has worked at Sauber since the 1980s, starting as a mechanic during the team’s partnership with Mercedes-Benz. When the team decided to focus on entering F1 as its own outfit in 1993, the engineer moved from mechanics to logistics.

However, he returned to the mechanical side of the business within a year, taking on the roles of team manager and chief mechanic in 1994. He has continued to serve as team manager, now under the title of Sporting Director.

Shutting down the speculation that Wheatley’s joining could see Zehnder leave the Hinwil-based outfit, Sauber has confirmed to PlanetF1.com that the 59-year-old will transition to the role of director of signature programs and operations.

Commenting on his time with Sauber and Wheatley joining the team, Zehnder explained to Blick:

“With Wheatley, we can all be happy that he’s coming.

“After 571 races, I won’t be at the controls anymore. But I’ll certainly still be fulfilling tasks in the background.”

Wheatley has also commented on his move from Red Bull to Sauber, stating previously:

“I am extremely proud to have been a part of the Red Bull Racing journey over the last eighteen years and will leave with many fond memories. However, the opportunity to play an active part in Audi’s entry into Formula One as head of a factory team is a uniquely exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“I am also glad to be working together with Mattia, whom I have known for many years and who is the right person to collaborate with in this exciting project.”