Former Christian Horner confidant on the quality that's unique to Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel

Former Red Bull chief Jonathan Wheatley touched upon the unique quality of Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, all F1 world champions, and what made them different from others. Wheatley, the former Red Bull man, in an interview, said that all the aforementioned drivers have the capability of 'sniffing' a victory and pulling it off.

Wheatley, who worked as Red Bull Racing's sporting director until last year, sat in an interview with Tom Clarkson in the Beyond The Grid podcast. There, he spoke about everything from F1 to his transition from Red Bull to Sauber.

During his conversation with Clarkson, the latter asked Wheatley, the current Sauber team principal, about the qualities he saw in Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, the world champions with whom he worked throughout his F1 days.

Responding to the question, Wheatley said:

"I think, they all have a magic that if they sniff the possibility of a victory, they can deliver it. They can pull otherworldly skills out, they’re all able to read a race from the cockpit. They are able to deliver strategies that you think are impossible to deliver over the course of a race season when so many things can go wrong, they always come on top."

"Wet weather, crashes, punctures, they come out on top and deliver and just when you think you've seen the best driver you're ever gonna see, these guys are capable of doing something that leaves you astounded," he added.

Notably, Michael Schumacher, holder of seven F1 titles, is one of the most successful F1 drivers. Max Verstappen, with four titles, is currently the driver in form. Fernando Alonso, with two F1 titles to his name, is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, while Sebastian Vettel, a former F1 driver, has four titles under his belt.

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Max Verstappen's former boss pointed out "biggest issue" he faced after his switch to Sauber

Former Red Bull man and Max Verstappen's former boss Jonathan Wheatley addressed the biggest issue he faced after he moved from Red Bull to Sauber in 2024. He is currently the team principal of the Sauber team.

Sauber Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley sits on the deck of the hospitality suite during the F1 Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia at Jeddah Corniche Circuit - Source: Getty

Speaking about the issue, he said (via MotorsportWeek):

“What I would say is that the biggest issue we face is headcounts increasing and office space isn’t. So there’s a lot of people crammed into small spaces at the moment, but there’s an expansion plan under way."

Wheatley's team is going to be rebranded next season and become Audi under the new regulations. The team currently has Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto as its drivers.