Audi is encouraged to recruit
Christian Horner following the surprising departure of
Jonathan Wheatley, who did not wish to extend his stay in
Switzerland to favor a return to England, presumably
at
Aston Martin.
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Former F1 driver
Juan Pablo Montoya suggested that Audi should consider
recruiting Horner following the unexpected departure of team principal
Wheatley.
Musical chairs
Montoya believes that the English manager could be a valuable asset to Audi, particularly thanks to
his extensive experience at
Red Bull Racing, to support F1 project leader Mattia
Binotto : « Mattia has a difficult task ahead of
him. I don’t think he wanted to be totally involved. He
wanted to stay in the background. I imagine they’re probably looking
for someone to come fill this void. They need
someone like Christian to do that. People underestimate
what he accomplished and for how long he did it at
Red Bull. You can love him or hate him, but he is capable of
delivering. »
The Colombian also
commented on a possible departure of Wheatley to
Aston Martin F1 Team, highlighting the personal
and professional advantages of such a move : « I think that’s a
good opportunity for him, and one of the reasons that would push
him to go there would be to return to the United Kingdom and live there. When
you have lived for a long time in Great Britain, with your family and
your whole life there, moving to Switzerland — even if it’s an
incredible place — represents a significant cultural change,
almost a shock. So, if you have the opportunity to work again
with
Honda, as in recent years, and in a facility located
20 minutes from your home, it makes perfect sense. »
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Persona non grata?
For his part, former driver
Ralf Schumacher was more skeptical about a
Horner return to F1, believing that his reputation could hinder
his opportunities : « Nobody wants to work with Horner
after his departure from Red Bull. We don’t hear many
positive things about him in the paddock, and even if his reputation
is not completely ruined, it has been severely damaged.
»
Opinions are therefore divided regarding a Horner
return to Formula 1, but the fact that paparazzi spotted
the preparations for the couple’s move (photo above)
should ring a bell…
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