Audi signs Binotto, Ferrari eyes ’five-letter names’

Audi has confirmed recent speculation about a major management upheaval in its works Formula 1 plans.

Sauber, the team Audi has 100 percent acquired for its 2026 works foray, is dead last and completely points-less so far this season.

In the background, rumblings of conflict between group CEO Andreas Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffman have raged - now resulting in the expulsion of both.

Coming in as the new COO and chief technical officer is the previously out-of-work former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto. A media statement said the appointment "ensures the autonomy and independence of the Audi F1 project".

"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," said Audi CEO Gernot Dollner.

Still rumoured is that Audi’s next acquisition could be the current Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack - while new-in-2023 Sauber technical director James Key could be ousted due to stagnant team progress so far this year.

With Seidl, Krack and also Adrian Newey on the market, reports are now publishing conspicuous words uttered by Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur in Hungary last Sunday.

The Frenchman said an announcement about Ferrari’s post-Enrico Cardile structure will be made after the summer break, and that he has "a couple of five-letter names" in mind.

"I always push to explain that individuals are less important than the group," Ferrari boss Vasseur insisted. "This is true when you are signing someone and when you are losing someone."