Audi is set to transform its Stake F1 team after back-to-back poor performances, questioning the future strategy and adjustments needed for success.
At Zandvoort, Sauber were the only cars to finish two laps behind the winner, Lando Norris. At Monza, the green cars ended up in the last two spots in Q1 (as at Zandvoort…)
In short, Stake is in a catastrophic situation regarding pure performance… and this naturally concerns Audi, which will officially take over the team under its name from 2026.
Gernot Dollner, CEO of Audi, has already drawn conclusions from the current poor form of Stake. The objectives, he says, have been reevaluated and adjusted more realistically for 2026 (in other words, they have been lowered!).
“We are aware that this will be a multi-year program. We have begun discussing how ambitious we can be, but we have not concluded this discussion yet.”
“The decision was well prepared two and a half years ago. We reevaluated it last year and believe that F1 and Audi are a perfect match – it aligns with our strategy and we are excited to have this project, knowing it is ambitious and time-consuming.”
“It has never been a question of doubting that F1 is a great motorsport platform, the pinnacle of motorsport. We have simply reassessed whether our approaches were the right ones.”
“We cannot provide details as we are still discussing several aspects of how to address the issue, but I think we are quite realistic about the timing issue.”
It’s not just the schedule that has been adjusted at Audi. The leadership has also been replaced: Oliver Hoffmann and Andreas Seidl have been dismissed, while Mattia Binotto (as technical director of the project, he will mainly stay in Hinwil) and Jonathan Wheatley (as team director, he will primarily attend the Grands Prix to oversee operations) have been recruited.
Thus, Dollner will oversee these two men. But isn’t having two leaders on one F1 team one too many?
“This dual leadership is a perfect solution for our project.”
“It’s a clear structure with defined responsibilities, and we believe Mattia and Jonathan are the perfect team to share these responsibilities—and if a final decision is necessary, I will make it, but I do not foresee the need to do so.”
“Of course, we discuss important matters like the drivers together and come to a joint conclusion.”
Mattia Binotto believes Sauber’s performance is unacceptable
Newly joined at Audi/Stake, Mattia Binotto is understandably concerned about the dismal performance of the green team this year. He was present for the first time at Monza… wearing an Audi polo, not a Stake F1 team kit.
The words are clear: such performance is not acceptable. And this will have direct consequences on Audi’s performance in 2026, which will certainly not be as bright as anticipated.
“We cannot afford this. This is a team that must become, in the future, a winning team. And the only way to achieve this is to start making progress.”
“So, yes, I think we definitely need to improve. It’s important for us, it’s important for the team. It’s important for the brand. It’s important for our partners. And we cannot accept the current position in any way.”
“We cannot hide behind being last and second last at the Zandvoort race. We must therefore strive to improve.”
“We must balance all priorities and our efforts in the short, medium, and long term. But I don’t think our position today is comfortable for us. It’s very painful. As I’ve said, we need to up our game and improve, because solid foundations are not built in a day. It’s a team that must progress every day, step by step. I would say we need to start as soon as possible.”
And from his first weeks in Hinwil or Neuburg, what conclusions has Mattia Binotto drawn?
“In a few weeks, you can’t see everything. Indeed, you only get a first impression of what can be found or seen, whether at Hinwil for the chassis, or at Neuburg for the power unit.”
“But I think there are great people. We have clear intentions and goals to become a winning team. But there is certainly a lot to do; that’s the first feedback.”
“We are competing against teams that have been in F1 for many years. They are large organizations. We are not.”
“We need to scale up in terms of personnel, organization, tools, processes, methodologies, facilities. We definitely need to merge what we do in Hinwil with what we do in Neuburg concerning the power unit. It’s also about culture and mindset because becoming a winning team requires a change in our mindset about what is necessary.”
Finally, Binotto admitted that until Jonathan Wheatley, the sporting director of Red Bull, takes over as director of Audi F1 next July, he will act as interim head of the team.
“I am familiar with dual roles in Formula 1, so I will accept this position, although I probably won’t be present at all the Grands Prix.”
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Audi to Overhaul F1 Team After Disastrous Season Audi to Overhaul F1 Team After Disastrous Season. f1 2024 Audi to Overhaul F1 Team After Disastrous Season
