Who is Mattia Binotto? The ex-Ferrari chief trusted with Audi F1 project

Audi

Who is Mattia Binotto? The ex-Ferrari chief trusted with Audi F1 project

Mattia Binotto is now a key player within the Audi project

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Friday 27 March 2026 14:54

Audi have a new F1 team principal just two races into the 2026 F1 season following the shock departure of Jonathan Wheatley, but who is Mattia Binotto and where have we seen him before?

Wheatley's decision to leave the team came just two races into the new Audi era, after the car giants completed the takeover of the old Sauber team at the end of last year.

The Brit left for 'personal reasons', and is widely expected to move to Aston Martin, rumours of which have grown at a rapid rate in the last week.

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Binotto - the head of the Audi F1 project - has now taken charge while the team look for a full-time team principal.

An official statement confirmed: "Mattia Binotto will continue leading the team while taking over additional responsibilities as team principal. Since joining at the helm of the project in 2024, Mattia has been in charge of the transformation of the team as Audi prepared for and ultimately entered F1 as a chassis and power unit manufacturer."

But what credentials does the 56-year-old have that make him a worthy stand-in now Wheatley's gone?

A Journey from engineering to team management

Binotto was born on November 3 1969 in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Italian parents. He went to university at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, studying mechanical engineering, before then also completing a Master's degree in automotive engineering.

By the age of just 26, Binotto was already working for the most successful team in F1 history; Ferrari.

Binotto joined Ferrari in 1995 as an engine engineer on the test team. From here, he was promoted multiple times through 27 years of employment with the Scuderia.

He held roles such as race engine chief engineer and head of the engine department before being made chief technical officer in 2016, replacing James Allison who moved to Mercedes.

As chief technical officer between 2016-2019, Binotto oversaw a period in which Ferrari became a championship contender once again, with Sebastian Vettel taking the fight to Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton in 2017 and 2018.

When was Mattia Binotto Ferrari team principal?

Following the departure of Maurizio Arrivabene at the end of 2018, Binotto was promoted up into the team principal role at Ferrari for the 2019 season onwards.

He oversaw a difficult period for the team, with Ferrari facing back-to-back winless years in 2020 and 2021, but the Maranello-based outfit won seven grands prix all-told during Binotto's reign.

His most successful season as Ferrari team principal came in 2022, when the team won four races and finished second in both the drivers' and constructors' championships.

Binotto then resigned at the end of 2022 and was replaced by Fred Vasseur, ending 27 years of association with Scuderia Ferrari.

When did Mattia Binotto join Audi?

Still not done with F1, Binotto joined Hinwil-based outfit Sauber in 2024, replacing Andreas Seidl as chief technical officer and chief operating officer.

Sauber were preparing for a takeover from German car manufacturers Audi, and Binotto's role was later expanded to become the head of the Audi F1 project.

Audi have entered their first season as a power unit manufacturer and as a works team in 2026, and Binotto is a key figure in that, leading development activities at the Hinwil and Neuburg an der Donau facilities.

Now, the Swiss is also an F1 team principal once more, and will be on the pit wall from the Japanese GP this weekend.

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