Audi F1: Binotto Confirms Engine Progress, Gap Expected

Mattia Binotto confirms Audi’s F1 engine is advancing steadily, though a performance gap with rivals like Red Bull and Ferrari is anticipated in 2026. Audi remains focused on closing the gap before its debut.

Audi F1 is advancing quietly with its engine program, but the new technical and operational director, Mattia Binotto, asserts that good progress is being made on the power unit planned for 2026.

The German team will enter the sport in 2026 as a constructor, powering its own works team based on Sauber, which currently races under the Stake F1 name.

Binotto, with extensive experience from Ferrari, was hired to oversee the project, with Red Bull’s current sporting director, Jonathan Wheatley, joining next year as team principal after completing his notice period.

Binotto expressed his satisfaction with the power unit’s progress ahead of its 2026 debut.

“I’ve visited Neuburg in recent days and weeks.”

“The engine is progressing well, running on the test bench, and has already covered long distances so far.”

Audi is one of six engine manufacturers entering the sport’s new era, although that could drop to five if Renault withdraws, leaving Alpine with no option but to use a customer engine.

Other manufacturers like Red Bull-Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Honda already possess hybrid engine expertise, and Binotto therefore expects an initial gap compared to his rivals when Audi joins the competition.

“But I think it’s also a learning process. We are competing against teams whose manufacturers are well-established. Certainly, all that experience is quite significant and valuable.”

“The organization in Neuburg is excellent, the facilities are top-notch, and the programs are progressing well. However, there’s still a learning curve to go through. So, I do expect an initial gap to overcome, but one can never predict its size.”

“It’s only when we are on track that we’ll understand. But we have more than a year until then.”

“We have an intense development program underway on the test benches, and our task will be to ensure we implement it while accelerating as much as possible, aiming to be as competitive as we can at the start of 2026.”