F1.com’s Lawrence Barretto sat down with Mattia Binotto, head of Audi’s Formula 1 project, to review how the team has developed and to discuss the biggest hurdle they face: designing a completely new power unit.
By accepting the role of leading Sauber through its transformation into Audi’s works factory outfit, Binotto knowingly took on a steep climb to bring the team up to front-running competitiveness.
Binotto arrives with more than three decades of experience at Ferrari, where he rose to lead the engine department and later served as Team Principal. In that time he witnessed Michael Schumacher’s run of five consecutive World Championships — itself preceded by a 21-year wait for Ferrari’s previous title. That career background informs his long-term, methodical approach to building both a team and a powertrain from the ground up.