Former Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto has been appointed as the chief operating and chief technical officer of Audi F1. The German car manufacturer will make its debut in Formula 1 in 2026, with an all-new power unit.
The 54-year-old Italian will assume his role on August 1 at the Sauber factory in Hinwil, Switzerland, and will report directly to the board of directors. With Binotto’s appointment , major restricting took place at Audi which saw the exit of former McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl who joined Sauber in January 2023 and was CEO of the Audi team. Alongside Seidl, Audi executive Oliver Hoffmann will also leave his role.
Audi appoints Mattia Binotto as new F1 boss
Speaking about the ex-Ferrari boss’ appointment, Audi CEO Gernot Dollner said, “I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project. With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.”
“Our aim is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to F1 speed by means of clear management structures, defined responsibilities, reduced interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes. For this purpose, the team must be able to act independently and quickly. I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for their important work in establishing our entry into Formula 1 and their commitment in preparing it,“ he added.