First the vintage car broke down, then came the snowstorm. The new Sauber boss Jonathan Wheatley experienced an odyssey on his way to Switzerland.
Jonathan Wheatley’s first trip to Switzerland was no ordinary one. He didn’t start out on a plane, but in a vintage car. With his dog in the passenger seat and a clear destination: Hinwil. What he didn’t know was that the journey itself would write the first chapter of his story, even before he had started the job.
The car broke down twice. Right in the middle of the road. “I drove there in a vintage car, which broke down twice on the way, with my dog,” he recently recounted calmly during the presentation of the Audi design for 2026. For Wheathley, this was not a disaster, but “some kind of initiation rite.” As if that weren’t enough, he also got caught in a snowstorm.
Impressed by Swiss life
And then, after breakdowns and snow flurries, the new Sauber team boss arrived. “I arrived in this beautiful country,” Wheatley enthused. Suddenly: mountains, lakes, and an astonishing tranquility. But what really amazed him were not the postcard views. “I saw children walking to school alone, eight-year-olds without their parents.”
These small everyday observations are shaping his new life. “It’s almost like a dream, and I love it,” he admits. He now often explores the country by bike, which led him to another realization. “It’s a country where you can cycle safely. The roads are immaculate.” It’s these details that make all the difference to him.
He still seems a little surprised by it all himself. “I catch myself thinking, I really live here. I love the whole Swiss experience,” said the Brit. The eventful journey seems to have been the perfect imperfect start to this new chapter.
His colleague Mattia Binotto, who was sitting next to him, listened to all this with a smile. He is also new to Switzerland, but his personal culture shock was of a different nature.
When the Italian was asked about his biggest “aha” moment, his answer was short and sweet. “For me as an Italian, the most surprising thing is that we start lunch at 11:30 a.m.”
