Binotto sheds light on Wheatley exit as Audi step up hunt for new team boss

Last week, the former Red Bull sporting director announced his departure from the German outfit, which he had only recently joined following his split from the Milton Keynes-based team, citing “personal reasons”.

GPblog understood that the primary factor behind the decision was his wife’s strong desire to return to the United Kingdom.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland in Japan, Binotto addressed the situation: "That came as a great surprise. Sometimes things just happen that way. Last Friday, Jonathan told us that he couldn't commit to Audi in the long term for personal reasons. We can't judge that; we have to respect it. As a consequence, we as a team decided to relieve him of his duties. Jonathan was very well integrated into the team and had a significant influence."

He finally added: "We're not looking for a new team principal. I now need to reorganize and take a closer look at the team's structures."

The Brazilian driver explained that internally there had been clarity on the matter, even if the speed at which events unfolded was notable. He acknowledged that the individual had only joined the team relatively recently, having come on board last year, but stressed that personal circumstances inevitably take precedence in situations like this.

He also highlighted how quickly everything developed following the Chinese Grand Prix, with the timeline accelerating in the days leading up to Suzuka.

While he did not pinpoint an exact date, he made it clear that the situation evolved rapidly within that short window, reinforcing how sudden the change appeared from the outside.