Tag: Mattia Binotto

Wheatley and Binotto will help Audi ‘get a foothold quickly’ in F1

Audi hopes the additions of Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto to its Formula 1 project will help the manufacturer “get a foothold quickly” when it enters the sport in 2026. Wheatley’s arrival as team principal of the project next year was …

Audi hopes the additions of Jonathan Wheatley and Mattia Binotto to its Formula 1 project will help the manufacturer “get a foothold quickly” when it enters the sport in 2026.

Wheatley’s arrival as team principal of the project next year was announced following a Red Bull statement about the sporting director’s departure. He’ll join Binotto at Audi where he will be chief technical officer and chief operations officer of the F1 team. Confirming Wheatley’s signing, Audi AG CEO Gernot Dollner says the focus has been on securing experienced team members who are fully aware of what it takes to be competitive.

“I am delighted that we have been able to gain Jonathan Wheatley as team principal for our future Formula 1 team,” Dollner said. “Jonathan has played a major part in many Formula 1 race victories and world championship titles in his Formula 1 career so far, and has extensive experience in the paddock. He is a very valuable addition to our team.

“With the appointment of Jonathan and Mattia we have taken a decisive step towards our entry into Formula 1. I am convinced that with the two of them, we have been able to combine an extremely high level of competence for Audi. Their experience and their ability will help us to get a foothold quickly in the tough competitive world of Formula 1.”

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The Red Bull announcement earlier in the day appeared to catch Audi out, with no statement forthcoming for a number of hours and no comments from Wheatley at the time. As part of the acknowledgement from his new team, Wheatley says the opportunity to step up to a team principal role was too good to turn down.

Mattia Binotto (left) with Jonathan Wheatley in 2022.  Mark Sutton/Motorsport Images

“I am extremely proud to have been a part of the Red Bull Racing journey over the last 18 years and will leave with many fond memories,” Wheatley said. “However, the opportunity to play an active part in Audi’s entry into Formula 1 as head of a factory team is a uniquely exciting prospect, and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“Also I am glad to be working together with Mattia, whom I have known for many years and who is the right person to collaborate with in this exciting project.”

While the pair have not worked alongside each other before, Binotto says he holds Wheatley in high regard due to his work at Red Bull.

“I have known Jonathan for many years and rate him highly as an experienced and committed motorsport expert,” Binotto added. “2026 is not a long time away now, and I’m looking forward to setting up the new racing team for Audi along with Jonathan and leading it to success.”

Hulkenberg admits Seidl exit ‘a bit of a shock’

Nico Hulkenberg acknowledged that the departure this week of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann from the current Stake Sauber Formula 1 team – which the German veteran will join next season ahead of its transformation into Audi for 2026 – came as “a …

Nico Hulkenberg acknowledged that the departure this week of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann from the current Stake Sauber Formula 1 team — which the German veteran will join next season ahead of its transformation into Audi for 2026 — came as “a bit of a shock.”

Audi announced the managerial changes on Tuesday, which include former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto joining at the start of August, and Seidl — who was CEO of Sauber Motorsport — along with Hoffman — chairman of the board of all Sauber Motorsport companies — both leaving. Hulkenberg admitted Seidl and Hoffman were a key part of his negotiations to join the Audi F1 project from next season when the team has its final year under the Stake name, but says their departures aren’t a cause for concern to him.

“No, not concerned,” Hulkenberg said. “That was obviously a bit of a wave, a bit of a shock. But now, obviously, it’s back to business. I still look forward to joining that project and to making it a successful story with or without the fact that two people that were closely involved in signing me are not there anymore.

“Of course, maybe it’s a bit sad, but I’m more interested about the project: joining Formula 1 with Audi and making it a successful story.”

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Hulkenberg said he was personally informed of the changes by Audi CEO Gernot Dollner, who will take over as chairman of the board at Sauber Motorsport moving forward.

“Well, of course, [Seidl and Hoffman] were influential — these were the two guys we did the deal with,” he said. “But I was informed, the day of the announcement, about the group’s decision by Gernot Dollner himself.

“It’s the group’s decision that they want to change moving forward. I think big projects like this, you have in the management people that are big pillars of such projects, but they never just rely on one or two people. And in Formula 1, everyone is kind of changeable.

“In terms of Mattia, I know him, obviously, from the past from the paddock, but I’ve never worked with him. But that will change in a few months.”

Valtteri Bottas said the change will result in a reset again for the Sauber-run team, and admitted it came out of the blue for those already involved at Hinwil.

“Quite sudden news,” Bottas said. “I believe everything happened pretty quickly, but obviously those high-level decisions, we as drivers and many of the team members don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes. Quite unexpected, but obviously welcoming Mattia to the team and at the same time, I want to thank Mr. Seidl and Mr. Hoffman for their contributions.”

Binotto replaces Seidl as head of Audi F1 project

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is back in Formula 1 as the head of the Audi F1 project, replacing Andreas Seidl. Binotto left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season, when the team had initially fought Red Bull for both championships but …

Former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto is back in Formula 1 as the head of the Audi F1 project, replacing Andreas Seidl.

Binotto left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season, when the team had initially fought Red Bull for both championships but faded as the year went on. The Italian had been at Ferrari since 1995 and risen to run the team, but after 18 months away he will start work with Audi at Hinwil on 1 August.

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The addition of Binotto as chief operating officer and chief technical officer of Sauber Motorsport comes with the surprise departure of Seidl, who had been CEO of Sauber Motorsport, working largely behind the scenes to prepare for the Audi takeover of the team and F1 entry from 2026.

The current chairman of the board of all Sauber Motorsport companies Oliver Hoffmann is also leaving as part of the managerial shake-up, with Gernot Dollner, CEO of Audi AG, taking over Hoffman’s position.

“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project,” Dollner says. “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.”

Binotto is charged with the “responsibility and accountability for the operative management and sporting success of the racing team” and will report to the Sauber board. Currently operating under the Stake name, Sauber will become Audi in 2026, and has one driver ‒ Nico Hulkenberg ‒ so far confirmed for the upcoming two seasons of the transition.

Seidl had only joined the Audi project at the same time as Binotto’s departure from Ferrari, as part of a wider set of moves within F1 team management that saw Fred Vasseur leave Sauber to replace Binotto at Maranello, and Andrea Stella promoted as McLaren allowed Seidl to leave his previous position of team principal early.