Audi has announced their entry in Formula 1 from the 2026 season. The German automaker had targeted to rope in former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto to lead their project, but the Italian declined the offer.
Audi has invested over $200,000,000 into their F1 project and a new base in Germany. The German automaker has also recruited 300 personnel to spearhead their ambition of making a grand entry.
The team plan to lure drivers like Carlos Sainz to be the face of their F1 operations. However, Binotto’s refusal to lead the team in 2026 has raised doubts about their grand ambitions.
Ferrari man Mattia Binotto rejects Audi’s offer
Mattia Binotto was sacked from his Ferrari job after a dismal 2022 campaign, replacing him with the incumbent Fred Vasseur. The Italian hasn’t taken a new job since leaving the Scuderia, with whom he served for 25 years.
Audi wanted Binotto to be their F1 team principal when they enter the sport in 2026. According to Business F1, Binotto met with Audi’s executives and received a tour of their Neuberg base.
However, the Italian engineer was unimpressed with their base, which was nowhere close to what Ferrari had in Maranello. Binotto even referred to Audi’s managers in Neuberg as “clowns” in his private messages.
Binotto, being an F1 veteran, knows what is required to run a successful F1 team. But with the out-of-work Italian rejecting Audi’s offer, it remains unclear if the team is heading in the right direction.
Andreas Seidl roped in as Sauber Group CEO
While Mattia Binotto rejected Audi’s offer, former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl trusted the team’s direction. The German engineer was appointed as the CEO of the Sauber group right before the start of the season.
Seidl had previously worked with the Swiss F1 team while it was known as BMW Sauber. He has worked with Porsche’s Le Man LMP1 cars, which is part of the Volkswagen group like Audi.
He will oversee the operations of the team and its merger with Audi in 2026. Seidl also lured former McLaren man James Key as the team’s technical director.
Audi will upgrade their 3,000-square-foot facility to develop a fully hybrid F1 drivetrain. They plan on testing their power trains by the end of 2023 and focus on increasing their workforce.
It is still early days to decide how Audi’s fate in F1 will swing. The team will enter F1 during a crucial period after a major regulation change in 2026. With a determined approach, the team could capitalize on the changes early and be as successful as their compatriots, Mercedes, was in F1.
However, F1 has seen a lot of big-money teams sink in the past. Ford, Honda, Toyota, and BMW are former OEMs with limitless budgets, yet failed to secure consistent results in the sport.
