Opinion: Mattia Binotto changes nothing for Audi's F1 team - there is no silver bullet for mediocrity

The German manufacturer will be taking control of the Sauber outfit in 2026, and will be entering the sport with high expectations. After all, this is the same Audi team that for years was synonymous with Le Mans success, and has lifted trophies in just about every motorsport they have competed in.

But news that former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto will now be taking the reins - just 19 months after ex-McLaren chief Andreas Seidl was put in charge - is indicitive of a team on the verge of crisis, not one that will be challenging the front runners. Seidl had been tasked with stabling the ship at Alfa Romeo / Sauber until the Audi project began; with Sauber the clear slowest car on the grid this season, concerns have been raised about the team’s progress.

Binotto left Ferrari at the end of the 2022 season after spending decades at Maranello, and has taken on the position of Audi’s chief operating and chief technical officer. New Sauber chairman Gernot Döllner said: “With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in F1, [Binotto] will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.

“Our aim is to bring the entire F1 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.”

While this statement sings the praises of Binotto’s talents, it is a damning indictment of how much Sauber is struggling ahead of the Audi takeover. A new batch of rules and regulations will be enforced for 2026, and Audi already has a driver on its books. Compatriot Nico Hulkenberg is moving from Haas at the end of this season - a solid driver but one infamous for never getting on the podium in his career.

The German team had been hopeful of securing the services of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz, promising him leadership in what would inevitably become a dominant force in F1, following the path Mercedes took 10 years ago. But Sainz (who is being replaced at Ferrari by Lewis Hamilton next season) is now looking around the market for a better opportunity, with potential openings at Red Bull, Mercedes, Alpine, Haas and Williams.

For Audi, the simple fact that Sainz views the latter two as better options - rather than just putting pen to paper on a contract now - is certainly cause for concern, and perhaps recruiting Binotto could be a way of enticing the Spaniard back to them. He’s also far and away the best option on the driver market, with Sauber’s other top alternatives being French driver Esteban Ocon, or retaining current Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas.

Indeed, the entire driver market hinges on Sainz’s decision, and once he does finally pick a seat the remaining dominoes will surely fall. But if Audi fails to secure his services, and is making last-minute changes to top personnel, is the situation more bleak than we realise?

Under its current guise, Sauber is undeniably struggling and is the only team not to have scored any points this season. The drivers, Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, are easily talented enough to get results with a decent car beneath them - but have the polar opposite of that right now. The team has also struggled with pit stops all season, taking far longer than everyone else to simply bolt new tyres on the cars.

However, it might not be panic stations just yet.

What Audi needs is to stabilise and improve upon what Sauber already has - but not necessarily in a mechanical sense. Getting the personnel working like a well-oiled machine and building some confidence in one another should be the first calls of business.

As for the car, it would make sense for Audi to be focusing solely on the 2026 rule changes, rather than committing any resources towards the fledgling Sauber project. It worked for Mercedes last decade when they dominated the turbo-hybrid era, but they had a much stronger starting point after inheriting the victorious Brawn GP outfit at the start of 2010. Even then, it took four years to get where they wanted to be.

Audi does have the potential to be successful in Formula 1, and to disrupt the established order at the front of the grid. But I think that is going to take time - and making spur of the moment management changes simply doesn’t sound like the answer.