Audi F1: The Grid’s Most Ambitious Project, Says Binotto

Mattia Binotto hails Audi F1 as the grid’s most ambitious project, fueling immense public expectations ahead of its highly anticipated debut.

Mattia Binotto welcomes the expansion of the Sauber team, which will become Audi F1 next year. The Swiss engineer has returned to Formula 1 through this project, where he serves as Chief Operating Officer.

“I am truly happy to be here today, working on the future of Audi in Formula 1,” said Binotto. “I couldn’t have imagined being part of anything more exciting than this incredible project.”

“The Audi F1 project is, without a doubt, the most ambitious, the most challenging, and the most grandiose on the grid. It is driven by Audi’s legacy, the fact that they have never competed in Formula 1 before, and their history of success in everything they have done in the past.”

The former Ferrari team principal acknowledges the enormous public expectations surrounding Audi, though he is aware that meeting them will be challenging at the start: “The transition to Audi has generated great expectations. Many may already expect Audi to be very strong in 2026.”

“But we have made it clear that our goal is to fight for a championship in 2030. It will take several seasons to be ready. What matters now is to progress each season and develop towards 2030.”

“Our immediate goals do not contradict our long-term objectives; it is about setting the right targets for 2025, 2026, 2027, and beyond. We aim to start by improving in 2025 compared to 2024—these are our clear objectives. We are shaping our future through a strategic plan.”

“This is a complete transformation of the company, from a non-winning team to a winning one, by working on tools, methodologies, processes, teams, skills, facilities, culture, and behaviors. We have a lot of work ahead, but everything is planned and on track.”

“Yes, we hope to perform better in 2025, and expectations will be high for 2026, but we must be patient because the road is long. The team is excited about this ambitious challenge, and we will achieve it step by step through continuous improvement.”