Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley is the surprise front-runner to replace Adrian Newey at Aston Martin rather than their former boss, Christian Horner. The trio all spent the best part of two decades working together at Red Bull before Newey and Wheatley left after the 2024 season, with Horner sacked some 12 months later.

Aston Martin initially appointed Newey as managing technical partner. However, a month later, he became their team principal, replacing Andy Cowell, who is now the team's chief strategy officer.

Wheatley was Red Bull's long-time sporting director. However, he left to join Sauber, the predecessor to Audi.

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Newey and Wheatley now appear increasingly likely to reunite at Silverstone, as per the Express. Personal reasons are reputedly a factor that could lead the latter to return from Switzerland despite speaking publicly about loving life in Zurich.

Aston Martin are actively searching for a new team principal so that Newey can step back from the role and focus on designing the team's car. That recruitment process is said to be led by Newey, who has reportedly recommended Wheatley to owner Lawrence Stroll.

The former McLaren team principal, Andreas Seidl, is another potential candidate Aston Martin are credited with an interest in. Horner, however, is not said to be an option to replace Newey despite previous links with the job.

Wheatley is the only one of those currently working in the sport, and would have to serve a significant gardening leave spell before switching teams. Reach PLC have approached Aston Martin for comment.

Horner, who must now wait for another F1 job opportunity to crop up, spoke highly of Wheatley while they were at Red Bull and did not stand in the way of his colleague taking up a team principal position. He said: "Jonathan's done a great job as initially team manager and then sporting director for us.

"He's been part of the journey over the last 19 years or in our 20th season. We're very grateful for what he's done and the effort that he's put in during that time.

"An opportunity like this to become a team principal has come along. So we certainly didn't look to hold him back in any way, and we wish him the very best of luck for the future."

The then-Red Bull boss also wished Newey well at the time, too. He said: "It'll be a new challenge for him, and we'll be sad to see it when he leaves next year, but we wish him all the best for the future.

"I look back with great fondness on the time that, the 20 years almost that we spent together, and the highs and lows during that period."

Aston Martin have had a nightmare start to the F1 season and have significant problems with their cars. Fernando Alosno failed to finish the Australian Grand Prix and Chinese Grand Prix, while Lance Stroll finished in last-place Down Under - 15 laps behind winner George Russell - and also failed to see the chequered flag in Shanghai.

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