Schumacher claims Audi F1 is nearing collapse, urging Mattia Binotto to restore stability and secure Sainz’s commitment.
Ralf Schumacher admits he already has concerns about how Audi is approaching its entry into Formula 1.
The German automaker linked to VW, now owning 100% of the Swiss team Sauber before its official emergence in 2026 as the Audi factory team, was recently hit by rumors of an internal power struggle in F1.
Rumors that proved true as this led to the ousting of Sauber’s CEO and President, Andreas Seidl, and Oliver Hoffman, respectively, by Audi’s CEO, Gernot Dollner.
“It’s a very big deal,” said the former F1 driver.
“Changing personnel before even starting the project is very interesting.”
Some believe Audi made this decision because amidst the internal struggles between Seidl and Hoffman, Sauber stagnated at the very bottom of the 2024 standings – not having scored a single point so far.
But Schumacher thinks Seidl was operating with one hand tied behind his back.
“The Audi project was actually on the verge of collapse because there was apparently a small miscalculation amounting to… 1 billion euros!”
“The cost of the project over 5 years was clearly underestimated. At least, that’s what we hear.”
“The team had to be refinanced because there was no money coming in. That’s why the decision was made to keep Guanyu Zhou as a driver and take his money. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he was still there for 2025 with his 30 million euros.”
“As a result, nothing could progress for Seidl. They couldn’t hire anyone and could offer no perspective. So they just let everything continue as before.”
“With all the sympathy I have for the team, a lot needs to change at Sauber. But Seidl was fighting with his fists, without any massive reform weapons.”
The good news, Schumacher contends, is that the project “has at least succeeded in getting an experienced man in the person of Mattia Binotto – which is important.”
“They just have to be aware that in Formula 1, constant changes in personnel at the management level are not a good thing. It’s not a business, it’s a Formula 1 team.”
“So it’s hard for me to understand what they’ve done. Binotto is certainly someone who can do good work, but it’s also a huge task for him.”
Schumacher thinks another positive amidst the turmoil is that Binotto, the former Ferrari boss, gets along very well with Carlos Sainz, who is looking to secure a seat.
“Binotto is a convinced fan and a friend of Sainz. So there may also have been political considerations in the background. I was told he had to try to convince Carlos as a priority task.”
“Perhaps the Sainzes said ‘We would like to have such and such a person to lead the project.’ The two know each other from Ferrari and really enjoyed working together, so that’s perhaps also where the decision partly comes from.”
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Audi F1 Crisis: Binotto’s Task to Stabilize, Sway Sainz Audi F1 Crisis: Binotto’s Task to Stabilize, Sway Sainz
