Mattia Binotto states ‘I don’t agree’ with what he’s heard people say about Sauber ahead of Audi’s F1 takeover

Mattia Binotto has a huge task on his hands as the head of Audi’s Formula 1 project with Sauber again the worst team on the grid during their last year using the name.

Audi will transform Sauber into the German automotive giant’s factory F1 team next season, along with hitting the ground running with a works engine. Binotto admits that Audi will not have the best engine, but he does not buy into some doubts he has heard about the project.

Binotto initially took charge at Sauber as Audi’s F1 chief operating and chief technical officer last July. He has since overseen a major remoulding of their operation in Hinwil, Switzerland including tempting Jonathan Wheatley to leave Red Bull to become Sauber’s team principal.

Audi even refreshed the driver line-up at Sauber ahead of the 2025 F1 season by giving Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto multi-year works contracts. But Sauber are 10th in the F1 constructors’ standings with Hulkenberg’s six points for P7 in the season-opener in Australia.

Mattia Binotto rubbishes claims that Audi cannot convince F1 staff to join Sauber

Binotto, Wheatley, Hulkenberg and Bortoleto are only the headline arrivals that Sauber have welcomed to Hinwil since Audi bought the F1 team, though. Audi has been on a recruitment drive since the end of 2023 to help the Swiss outfit get up to speed before its debut in 2026.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Sauber from team principal to 2026 Audi future

Yet Audi has repeatedly faced claims that the German giant cannot convince Formula 1 staff to move to Switzerland to join Sauber. But Binotto rubbishes those claims and believes Audi will ‘surprise’ the doubters with the quality of staff Sauber will have in only one year’s time.

“Who told them that? I think we’ll surprise them,” Binotto told Motorsport.com. “No, I don’t agree. I like Switzerland, as you know. I think it’s a good place to work, with a great quality of life and the family atmosphere is also good because there’s a lot of security.

“I think this can become our competitive advantage. It’s clear that to attract people, you first have to give credibility to the project. A name isn’t enough [and] Audi isn’t enough. Concrete actions are also needed, which we’re putting in place.

“One example is the arrival of Jonathan Wheatley and some sponsors that we’ll be announcing. Another is the investment made by the Qatari fund, which guarantees the necessary funding. We’re starting with a new pair of drivers, with a young guy like Gabriel.

“And we’ll soon make some new hires. I’m convinced that if we meet again in a year, the question will be different, ‘How did you manage to attract so many people?’”

Valtteri Bottas sees a ‘big difference’ in the ‘quality’ of Mercedes and Sauber’s engineers

Audi has made extra efforts to help it convince F1 staff to join Sauber by opening a technical centre in the UK given most of the brain power in the paddock is in the so-called motorsport valley. But Binotto still believes in Audi’s ability to convince staff to move to Switzerland, too.

Seven of the 10 current Formula 1 teams have bases in the South East and Midlands regions of England. Cadillac also have part of their new project in England with a factory just outside of Silverstone Circuit which houses their aerodynamics and mechanical design departments.

But the scale of the task facing Binotto to help Audi hit the ground running remains large, as Valtteri Bottas sees a ‘big difference’ in the ‘quality’ of Mercedes and Sauber’s engineers. He returned to Brackley as a reserve driver this term after spending the past three with Sauber.