Wheatley unveils reason behind Red Bull exit: ‘Suddenly, I was in all the newspapers’

Wheatley stated that the unwanted media attention indirectly led to his departure.

"I'll be honest with you, there was an article that came out in Miami last year," he says in an interview with RacingNews365. "

Although the timing wasn’t ideal, it indirectly opened new doors. Interest from other Formula 1 teams led Jonathan Wheatley to reflect seriously on his future.

Still, he honoured his contract with Red Bull, which expired at the end of 2024. Wheatley stresses that he never had any intention of leaving the team prematurely.

"I guess also my mindset there was, I'd signed a lock-in contract, and I would honour that from start to finish. I'm not the sort of person who signs a contract and then tries to wheedle my way out of it because there's a slightly different offer," he explained.

"When I commit to a team, I commit to it."  He points to the length of his previous tenures as evidence of his loyalty: sixteen years with Benetton and Renault, and nineteen years at Red Bull.

Wheatley has no intention of leaving Sauber (which will become Audi in 2026) anytime soon.

Among all the conversations, Audi immediately stood out, despite the personal challenge of relocating from the UK to Switzerland.

Wheatley saw in the project the same sense of challenge and enthusiasm that once drew him to Red Bull. He says he remains excited about the opportunity and notes that a 'complete transformation' is set to take place within the team next year.

The final decision to leave had less to do with work and more to do with home. Since relocating to Switzerland was required, Wheatley initially planned to live there in an apartment, while his wife remained in their home in the United Kingdom. They intended to visit each other regularly. However, when she decided to move with him, the choice became an easy one for Wheatley.