With an internal reshuffle afoot after Jonathan Wheatley’s departure, Audi have been asked to look within its own ranks to make a decision on its next Formula 1 Team Principal.
Only three rounds into its first F1 season, the German marque has been posed with a substantial upper management reshuffle.
Wheatley, who led the team’s transition from Sauber, last season, came into 2026 still at its helm.
That said, last month, Audi made the shock announcement of the former Red Bull Sporting Director’s departure, citing “personal reasons”.
Reports suggest that the Briton was eager to shift base from Hinwil back to England – with Aston Martin seeming like his most probable destination in the near future.
Amid this, and while Mattia Binotto has assumed the Team Principal role in the interim, former F1 commentator Will Buxton has suggested Audi to take inspiration from the Silverstone-based team.
“I believe they need someone to replace Jonathan Wheatley,” he said on the Up to Speed podcast.
“I believe they already have somebody on their books who could be either a team principal and let Mattia focus on the technical, as Adrian Newey is going to focus on the technical at Aston Martin.”
Buxton believes the right man for this job would be Allan McNish – a decorated driver for Audi in endurance racing who is currently heading up the team’s F1 junior program.
“I think, for me, whether it’s as a sporting director or as a team principal, Audi already has the perfect man for the job, and that is Allan McNish,” he added.
“Allan McNish, for those who don’t already know, a brilliant Formula 1 driver, a brilliant endurance racing driver, won multiple times for Audi across the board in endurance racing, was their team principal in Formula E and took them from a team that couldn’t win a race to winning the title within a year.”
The logistics supporting Allan McNish’s Audi F1 promotion
McNish is a revered racing driver but for Buxton the most important factor for Audi would be the respect he already commands within the outfit.
The three-time Le Mans winner, who is also a former F1 driver, is highly regarded as an Audi factory team member.
His exploits at the helm of their Formula E project has only made him a larger figure within the organisation.
But in terms of out-and-out logistics, McNish’s short but impactful time already as the head of Audi’s junior driver program is something Buxton believes will be key to his ascension.
“He has a proven track record, he is their young driver development coach at the moment, heads up that programme for Audi, so he’s already a part of the team,” Buxton explained.
“For me, I think that Allan McNish would be able to slide straight into that role. He is hugely respected and for good reason.”
While no concrete news has emerged from Audi, it is only a matter of time before it announces the man who will lead them through to the end of its debut season at the pinnacle of single-seater motorsport.
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