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Former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto will replace Andreas Seidl at Audi as the German team undergoes major management restructuring. Audi is supposed to enter F1 in 2026 and as part of the process has taken over 100% of Sauber's shares. The decision, however, comes as a major surprise because Seidl has taken sister brand Porsche to success.
Seidl was brought to Audi from McLaren, as the German brand had a history of working with him. Andreas had led Porsche to the championship in endurance racing before moving to F1. He was supposed to be the one who would get things in place before the German brand joined the sport in 2026.
Progress towards that had been muted. Andreas Seidl had been able to get the signature of Nico Hulkenberg on a long-term contract. Other than that, Audi's struggle to get a second driver on the team was apparent, and the team have allegedly sent Carlos Sainz a contract and are waiting for his signature.
Before the news of Mattia Binotto taking over came to light, there were a few reports that indicated how everything was not fine at Audi between Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann (chairman of the Boards of Directors of all Sauber companies). Some differences needed resolving, as both were allegedly trying to push the other out.
Talking about the appointment of the former Ferrari team principal, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said in a media release,
“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."
He also talked about an effort to make the F1 operation more independent in order to have a more efficient decision-making process. He said,
“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,”
Audi thanked both Oliver Hoffman and Andreas Seidl for their contribution
In what was also a surprising development, the media release does not include a statement from Mattia Binotto, the man who would take over from Andreas Seidl on August 1. It does not include any statement from the two departing members of senior management, while Döllner did thank both of them for their contribution as he said,
“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.“
Such a late change of leadership might ring alarm bells if you're a driver looking to sign with the German brand. It is perhaps an indication that the project might not be in the best shape at the moment, and the board felt that there was a need to switch things up at the top.
