Audi announced on Tuesday that former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto will lead their Formula 1 project. The German car manufacturer, which took full ownership of the Sauber team earlier this year, will rebrand the team under the Audi name starting in 2026, with a new power unit being developed in Germany. Binotto, 54, will assume his role as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer on August 1, operating from the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland, and reporting directly to the board.
This restructuring sees the departure of former McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl, who joined Sauber in January 2023 as CEO of the Audi team, and Audi executive Oliver Hoffmann, who was overseeing the project. Binotto, who was Ferrari’s Chief Technical Officer before becoming Team Principal in 2019, left Ferrari in 2022 after more than 25 years with the team.
Audi CEO Gernot Dollner expressed his excitement about Binotto’s recruitment, stating, “With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly make a decisive contribution to Audi.” Dollner explained that the restructuring aims to streamline management, define responsibilities, reduce interfaces, and improve decision-making processes to bring the Formula 1 project up to speed.
He also thanked Oliver and Andreas for their contributions to Audi’s entry into Formula 1. Nico Hulkenberg, who will leave Haas at the end of the season to join the Sauber team, is the first driver confirmed for Audi’s lineup. Hulkenberg described the move as “interesting” and “very exciting.”
Currently, Chinese racer Zhou Guanyu and Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas represent the Hinwil team. However, their future roles remain uncertain after the current season ends.
