Mattia Binotto joins Audi as head of F1 project
Future Formula 1 team Audi has just announced the appointment of Italian Mattia Binotto as boss of the German team. This appointment follows the departure of Andreas Seidl, who has already left the project just 18 months after joining.
This is the news of the day. This Tuesday, the German manufacturer Audi announced a major reorganization of its organization by appointing Mattia Binotto, former director of Ferrari’s sports management, as the new operational and technical director of Sauber Motorsport, future Audi team. Binotto will take up his position as of August 1st.
The reshuffling of the team
This appointment comes as a result of two significant departures within the team. Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber, and Oliver Hoffman, former chairman of the board, decided to leave the project due to persistent internal tensions. Despite their departure, Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, expressed his gratitude to Seidl and Hoffman for their contribution to Audi’s arrival in Formula 1 and the continuation of the project.
« I would like to thank Oliver and Andreas for the important work they have done in preparation for our entry into Formula 1 and for their commitment to it,” Döllner said.
As part of this realignment of Audi’s control structure , several members of the management have been replaced, thus giving Mattia Binotto a return to Formula 1 two years after leaving Ferrari. Binotto, who has more than 25 years of experience in the F1 paddocks, resigned from Ferrari after controversial strategic decisions and the engine scandal in 2019.
Binotto began his F1 career with Scuderia Ferrari in 1995. He quickly became a key player, contributing to Schumacher’s five consecutive titles between 2000 and 2004. After climbing the ranks, he led the engine department starting in 2014 before becoming team principal in 2019, a position he held until the end of 2022.
A new role at Audi
At Audi, Binotto will assume the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Technical Director. Reporting to the board of directors, he will be responsible for operational management, team success, and project coherence.
Gernot Döllner, director at Audi, showed enthusiasm about Binotto’s arrival. “I’m thrilled that we were able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project. With over 25 years of experience, he will make a decisive contribution to Audi. Our goal is to bring the entire Formula 1 project up to Formula 1 speed, with clear management structures, defined responsibilities, streamlined interfaces, and efficient decision-making processes.”
This reorganization marks a crucial step for Audi, which is seeking to inject fresh blood to keep its project on the right track. Mattia Binotto’s experience and skills will be major assets in achieving Audi’s ambitions in Formula 1.
With the prospect of a new direction and the arrival of Binotto, Audi is preparing to face future challenges and strengthen its position in the world of Formula 1.
