Mar.25 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has suggested Aston Martin’s Mike Krack could emerge as a candidate for a senior role at Audi following Jonathan Wheatley’s sudden departure.
Wheatley’s exit – amid reports he now faces a year of gardening leave – has left Audi reshaping its leadership structure under Mattia Binotto, with questions already emerging about who could step into a key supporting role.
Schumacher believes the situation stems from deeper structural tension.
“I don’t think that was the original plan,” he told Sky Deutschland, referring to Audi’s dual leadership model with Binotto.
“He (Wheatley) was promised other things. If things are proving a bit more difficult in practice, then I also believe that Binotto has different ideas about how to structure the team.”
The German said Wheatley’s departure is a setback.
“It’s a shame, because I think continuity is important for the team.”
With Audi now potentially eyeing a replacement alongside Binotto, Schumacher pointed to a specific profile – and a familiar name.
“Audi needs to ensure they think more internationally and perhaps find someone who is currently with other teams,” he said.
“Mike Krack is obviously someone who is doing a very strong job technically at Aston Martin and, above all, has the core competency – to put it simply – of keeping the group together.”
Krack’s language skills, experience and links to Germany were also highlighted as potential advantages.
Whether such a move is realistic remains unclear, with no indication Krack is seeking to leave Aston Martin despite its disastrous start to the Honda era.
“It’s still a great project, of course, even if things are a bit more difficult than planned with Honda at the moment,” Schumacher added.
Audi’s urgency is underlined by a challenging opening to its first full season as a works team.
Reliability has been a major issue, with the team completing just 112 of a possible 228 race laps so far – one of the lowest totals on the grid.
Hydraulic problems have been identified as a key weakness, with the increasingly complex systems in the new cars proving difficult to manage.
At the same time, drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto have reported issues with drivability, while race starts and overall execution remain inconsistent.
“It’s still a work in progress, and there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” Hulkenberg admitted.
Despite that, there are signs of underlying potential.
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu suggested Audi’s engine performance may already be stronger than the results indicate.
“If you look at what they can do on a straight line, the Audi is very, very good,” he said.
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