Wheatley era pushes Beat Zehnder out of F1

Mar.31 (GMM) Monday is Sauber stalwart Beat Zehnder’s last day in a prime management position at the Swiss team.

From Tuesday, April 1, recently-departed Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley starts work as Sauber team boss, to lead the team into its new Audi-owned era.

And for Zehnder, most recently sporting director but best known as Sauber’s team manager dating all the way back to the beginning of Peter Sauber’s F1 adventure in the 90s, the Wheatley start-date marks the end of an era.

For the first time in decades, Zehnder will not be with the race team from Suzuka onwards. His new role will be the oddly-titled ‘director of signature programs and operations’.

Zehnder, 59, told Blick newspaper that he is not too upset.

“We’re all happy that Wheatley is coming,” he told his friend and long-time F1 journalist Roger Benoit. “After 571 races, I won’t be at the controls anymore.

“But I’ll certainly still be completing tasks in the background.”

Zehnder recalls that his Sauber adventure began even before Peter Sauber entered his team in the early 90s, “even though I wasn’t interested in racing at all”.

“I’ve been travelling for Sauber for 37 years now,” he added. “But I won’t miss Imola because the team will be celebrating its 600th grand prix. Who would have thought that when I went to South Africa in 1993?”

Benoit paid tribute to his friend.

“The fans can thank Zehnder for persevering,” he said. “Without him, Sauber would barely exist. At one point, he even covered the team’s hotel costs out of his own pocket.”