Audi F1 make MAJOR announcement ahead of grid arrival with ex-Ferrari man confirmed

BP and Castrol partner with Audi — Photo: © IMAGO

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Audi F1 make MAJOR announcement ahead of grid arrival with ex-Ferrari man confirmed

Audi's preparations for F1 continue to ramp up

Rhys Thomas

Tuesday 23 July 2024 23:00

Soon-to-be Formula 1 team Audi have announced a major signing ahead of their grid arrival in 2026.

The German brand are set to take over Kick Sauber when new regulations are introduced to the sport in the not-too-distant future, bringing another big motorsport name to the F1 grid.

Ahead of said return, Audi have already confirmed one of their driver lineup in Nico Hulkenberg, and recently, the team announced a significant partnership with oil giant bp.

Now, the team have moved to appoint another key figure as their return preparations ramp up.

Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg is set to drive for Audi in 2026

Audi recently announced a partnership with oil giant bp

Audi F1 make major signing

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Binotto, who had been with Ferrari in some capacity since 1995, took over as team principal in 2019 having worked his way through the ranks but left after the 2022 campaign ended in a third-place finish for the team.

In a press release announcing the move, Gernot Döllner, CEO of AUDI AG expressed his happiness at landing the Italian.

“I am delighted that we have been able to recruit Mattia Binotto for our ambitious Formula 1 project,“ Döllner explained.

“With his extensive experience of more than 25 years in Formula 1, he will undoubtedly be able to make a decisive contribution for Audi.“

Binotto's arrival marks the departure of former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl, who had moved to Sauber Motorsport in 2023 as chief motorsport officer and became CEO of Audi's Formula One operations in March this year.

Ferrari Nico Hulkenberg Audi Mattia Binotto