This F1 team makes no secret: "I want Verstappen to drive our car"
Jonathan Wheatley, the Sauber team principal who, together with Mattia Binotto, will lead Audi’s F1 team, admits he would very much like to sign Max Verstappen.
Wheatley worked with Verstappen for many years at Red Bull Racing and still has a good relationship with the Dutchman, as well as with Jos Verstappen and manager Raymond Vermeulen.
That bond has remained strong since Wheatley's move to Sauber, where he is preparing the team for Audi’s official entry in 2026.
“Yes, I want Max Verstappen to drive our car. What kind of team principal would I be if I didn’t want that?”- Jonathan Wheatley
Confronted with the question of what the plan is if Audi becomes highly competitive and Verstappen decides to stay in Formula 1 beyond 2028, the answer is clear. “Yes, I want Max Verstappen to drive our car,” Wheatley is quoted by De Telegraaf. “What kind of team principal would I be if I didn’t want that?
“I'm in the fortunate position of having been friends with Max for a long time, but also with his father, Jos, and manager, Raymond.
“And such a friendship develops because you're always honest and you never betray the trust you've built.
“But I don't think that's enough right now to directly link Verstappen to a Formula 1 seat at Audi.”
Not only Wheatley, but Gabriel Bortoleto has also indicated that he can see himself becoming Verstappen’s teammate at Audi one day.
Wheatley wants Verstappen at Audi
With the launch of the R26 concept car, Audi has officially presented its Formula 1 project. The German manufacturer has fully taken over Sauber, is building its own engine under the new 2026 regulations, and will appear on the grid with Nico Hulkenberg and Bortoleto as its driver pairing.
At the presentation, Audi already made clear its ambitious goals: by 2030, the outfit wants to be able to fight for the world title. “We want to fight with teams like McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull,” says Wheatley. “They have been around for a long time, have achieved a lot of success, and have very good people working throughout their organisations. I’m not saying we don’t, but we still have to reach that level.”
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