Audi team principal Mattia Binotto aims for a title fight in 2030. During the last British GP, the German team already scored important World Championship points through Gabriel Bortoleto. Impressive, especially considering that Audi entered Formula 1 as a full factory team; the team was formed this year after the takeover of Sauber. In the long term, Binotto wants to be able to take even bigger steps.
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With a total of six World Championship points, Audi occupies ninth place in the constructors’ championship. Bortoleto was responsible for all the team’s points finishes, but also veteran Nico Hülkenberg regularly drove strong races for Audi. He made it through to Q3 several times but was also often plagued by reliability issues. He also suffered in Silverstone when his gearbox failed.
Title fight
In the first Grands Prix, Audi mainly wants to lay the foundation for the coming years. Mattia Binotto, who was previously team principal at Ferrari, has repeatedly shown that his new team does have clear objectives for the future – including a possible title fight. “We have set ourselves a goal that goes far beyond 2026 and 2027,” the Italian told Autosport. “In 2030, we want to have built a team that can compete for the world championship. Along the way, we hope to reach some important milestones. The first will probably come in 2028, when we want to make the next quality leap. These first years are mainly about building up. That is why we do not want to be judged only on our results.”
“At this stage, I am mainly interested in the growth of Audi,” he explained. “There are just over a hundred people working at the circuit, but behind the scenes about 1400 people work daily on the chassis and the engine. People often only look at the team on the track, but that is only the visible part of the project. The circuit is the cherry on the cake. But that cake first has to be baked,” he joked. “The results in the context of the growth of the organization are much more important to me over the next two years.”
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Engine versus chassis
Audi primarily focuses on the engine division. According to the ADUO regulation, the new power unit currently performs below the level of the FIA-designated benchmark of Red Bull Ford Powertrains. The team hopes to take the next step with the allowed upgrades. “I am not surprised that we have a deficit in the engine,” Binotto admitted. “I also knew that we would start that project later; we had to bring in completely new skills and knowledge. But this is a long-term project, and I am convinced that Audi can deliver a top engine within a few years.”
However, the team principal is very satisfied with the chassis. Bortoleto also previously stated that Audi is not inferior to, for example, Mercedes in that area. “Regarding the chassis, I am really very satisfied,” Binotto confirmed. “This team has already achieved huge successes — that builds confidence. It means we have the right people on board to build a winning team. It is always difficult to make a definitive ranking, but everyone acknowledges that our car is very strong in the corners. The data shows the same: what we lose on the straights, we compensate for in the corners.”
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