Mattia Binotto set Audi’s short- and medium-term goals during the evening of the 2026 season launch and the unveiling of the R26.
Binotto is ready for a new challenge. After his time at Ferrari and guiding Sauber over the past two seasons, he now embarks on Audi’s adventure in a new technical era of Formula 1. A challenge within a challenge.
New cars, new power units, and a new way of racing for both drivers and teams mean that everything that had become almost routine up to Abu Dhabi 2025 will now have to be managed differently and in new ways.
Audi returns to Formula 1 as a full constructor, managing both chassis and powertrain. It is a technological and resource challenge of the highest level, but also an extremely difficult one, even though Hinwil provides all the factors needed to grow effectively.
Binotto knows this, yet he remains the pragmatic engineer fans came to know during his years at Maranello. No lofty promises. Concrete steps, feet on the ground. That is why he doesn’t expect the new German power unit to immediately challenge rivals.
“No, it won’t be realistic to trouble our competitors right away. They have greater experience. They are well-structured and established organizations. If a team or constructor has been strong in the past, it will remain strong in the future. There’s no doubt about that. They are very strong competitors. For us, it will be a very difficult challenge. But on the other hand, I believe we have all the means to become winning one day and to become a benchmark for the powertrain. So I do not expect our powertrain to be the best from the start. That would be impossible, unrealistic. But I think we are on our path, and we need to stay focused on ourselves.”
“What is our task? Our task, as we said, is to become winning by 2030. It may seem like a distant goal, but it’s not. It’s tomorrow or the day after. And we are, I repeat, really focused on ourselves, staying humble. We know we may face problems during the season. We could encounter reliability issues or failures. But what will matter most to me is, once again, how the team reacts. Leaving nothing untried, learning from problems, showing the ability to progress. And if we can improve race by race, there is no doubt that one day, with all the means we have and Audi’s commitment as a brand, we can become as strong as the others, if not stronger.”
“Podium? No (laughs)… I think our target in Melbourne is simply to finish the race. Because reliability is important for me at this stage of development. Completing the race, running the entire weekend without significant issues on track. This will help the drivers and the team further develop the car. For this, we need a lot of track time. So the first goal is reliability. I believe what counts most is how the team builds the season and makes progress.”
Intermediate goals before 2030
Audi has set the target of competing for championships starting in 2030. Five years may seem long, but in Formula 1, that’s almost the blink of an eye. Binotto explained that the journey toward that milestone includes intermediate targets to achieve along the way.
“I think, as you said, we have a final goal set for 2030 and we need to define intermediate steps, let’s call them stations along our climb to the top of the mountain. At Sauber last year, we set a team-internal goal: scoring points in every single race, which we eventually achieved from race 9 onward. It was a clear target for Sauber and not guaranteed, considering Sauber went from 0 points in 2023 to 4 points in 2024, earned only at the end of the season.”
“Now we are discussing internally what the goal should be for 2026, what our first steps should be, our first intermediate milestone. Should we measure it by championship position? By points at the end of the season? Should we aim to score more points than in 2025, knowing we are now a completely new team, with a completely new powertrain and a completely new regulation? In the end, we decided differently. For us, the most important thing in 2026 is to become a serious competitor, and this relates to behavior and perception.”
“We would be very happy—personally, I would be very happy—if by the end of the season other teams saw us as a strong F1 team and a solid competitor for the future. In some way, to be perceived as a team that is here to compete seriously and to become truly competitive with a view to winning in the future. And this concerns, as I said, the attitude: staying humble, learning from mistakes, learning from failures. That is exactly what we were talking about earlier. For me, it would be a great satisfaction to be seen as a strong and serious competitor for the future.”
Different races, but still true F1
One of the key topics of the new Formula 1 and technical regulations is the management of electrical energy in the new power units, which no longer feature an MGU-H but only the KERS and a limited amount of power to manage over a lap.
At first glance, these cars might make purists raise an eyebrow, but Binotto explains that the new cars will be genuine Formula 1 machines, not hybrid compromises that raise doubts about racing quality.
“Electric power management will be a factor, yes. I think the car’s speed profile over a lap is completely different compared to before: slower in corners, faster on straights. So it will be a different kind of race. But I have to say I was in Barcelona for our filming day on January 9. I saw the car on track, and in the end, when you look at it, it’s a great F1.”
“The car, when it goes down the main straight, is impressive: very high speeds. You wouldn’t say it’s a different F1 from before. It’s still F1: four wheels, a body, a driver, and it goes fast around the lap. Overall, it might require a slightly different driving style for the drivers, due to different tires or grip, or energy management. But we’ll get used to it very quickly, that’s my feeling. And I think in the end, it will be a fantastic format. I believe fans and everyone will appreciate it.”
“Perhaps at first we will face some issues that need optimization. We will optimize them. But overall, as I said, seeing the car on track, it was a great machine in action. Great noise. The engine sound has improved. And I think we will all enjoy the new engine sound as well.”
As Audi begins its official countdown to the 2026 grid, Mattia Binotto’s message is one of cautious optimism. By prioritizing reliability and team culture over immediate podium finishes, the House of the Four Rings is playing the long game. The focus remains on building a technical foundation that can eventually challenge the giants of the sport. With the “serious competitor” label as their primary target for year one, Audi is signaling that while they are humble today, they intend to be the benchmark by the turn of the decade.
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