Sawt Falasteen - Audi team principal Wheatley in shock exit after two races

The 58-year-old Briton, who spent almost two decades with Red Bull, joined Sauber in April last year. The team was subsequently taken over by Audi.

"Due to personal reasons, Jonathan Wheatley will depart the team with immediate effect," Audi said in a statement.

"The team thanks Jonathan for his contribution to the project and wishes him the best for his future endeavours.

"Mattia Binotto, head of Audi F1 Project, will continue leading the team while taking over additional responsibilities as team principal."

Wheatley has been strongly linked in the specialist media with a move to Aston Martin to replace his former Red Bull colleague Adrian Newey as team principal.

Motorsport understands Newey "will step down in order to focus exclusively on technical matters".

Aston Martin owner Lance Stroll released a statement on Friday that underlined Newey's importance to the team and attempted to scotch the speculation surrounding Wheatley.

"I would like to reaffirm that Adrian Newey is my partner and an important shareholder," said Stroll.

"He is... managing technical partner, and he and I have a true partnership built on a shared vision of success for the company.

"We do things differently here, and while we don't currently adopt the traditional team principal role that you see elsewhere –- it is by design...

"We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation."

Brazilian driver Gabriel Bortoleto posted a ninth-place finish in the season-opener in Melbourne to give Audi their first F1 points while Nico Hulkenberg managed 11th in the second race in China.

T.Ibrahim--SF-PST