Audi’s F1 bid: Binotto plays the long game as Red Bull–Ford races out of the blocks
Audi’s 2026 power unit isn’t expected to be a day-one world-beater, and Mattia Binotto isn’t pretending otherwise. The Audi F1 chief is leaning into the slow burn, arguing that while Red Bull Powertrains–Ford may have the sharper start-up skills, Ingolstadt’s industrial heft and know-how will tell over time.
“They’ve got more specific skills,” Binotto admitted, acknowledging Red Bull–Ford’s stacked recruitment drive, which Christian Horner has said includes more than 200 hires from Mercedes’ engine operation. “We’ve got the background of what’s Audi… which in the long term will certainly make the difference.”
It’s a sober assessment as F1 barrels toward its biggest reset in a generation. The 2026 ruleset will bring smaller, lighter cars with active aero and a 50/50 split between electric power and sustainable fuel. New regs mean opportunity—and land grabs. Ford’s return comes via Red Bull Powertrains, already embedded with the reigning champions’ culture of speed. Audi, meanwhile, has taken the works route: swallowing Sauber, building out Hinwil, and trying to weld German manufacturing discipline to Swiss racing pragmatism.
Binotto says the programme is “going in the right direction” and “building credibility,” aided by two quiet but crucial developments: the Qatar Investment Authority stepping in as part-owner, and Revolut signing on as title sponsor. That has hushed the background noise about Audi’s long-term commitment. “We are expanding, we are investing in the long term,” he told Reuters. Some of those investments won’t show up on a stopwatch for “three or four years,” but they’re being made now.
The headline is clear: don’t expect an Audi shock in 2026. Binotto isn’t dressing it up. “We’re not expecting to have the best engine next year at all,” he said, pointing instead to a horizon nearer 2030 for a serious title push. That might sound like a cautious sales pitch, but in truth it’s how modern F1 works. Power units are marathons, not sprints, and the learning curve from test bench to parc fermé is brutal.
On the other side of the aisle, Red Bull–Ford has done the obvious thing: throw elite people at the problem. If Horner’s numbers on ex-Mercedes staff are even close, that’s a significant knowledge raid on the most successful hybrid-era engine group. In the short term, you’d back that to pay dividends—especially with Red Bull’s chassis operation aligning around the concept from day one. Audi knows as much, and isn’t trying to fight a knife with a spoon; they’re building a workshop first, then bringing the knives.
Back in Hinwil, the Sauber foundation has been quietly solid. The team banked 70 points in 2025, and that gave Audi something tangible to build on rather than a full-on rescue job. Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will carry the baton into the works era, a pairing that brought experience and spark this past season.
“The progress this year has been really good,” Hülkenberg said, pointing to the way the group communicates and executes at the track. The next step is less glamorous but vital: knitting together the incoming power unit operation with the race team and the Hinwil factory, then scaling headcount without breaking what already works. “There’s always more things to do,” Hülkenberg added. “We’re still growing… and it’s also about integrating now the new power unit people with Hinwil and the race team.”
There’s a leadership handprint here too. Binotto runs the project, while Jonathan Wheatley—poached from Red Bull—has slotted in as team principal and, by all accounts, made a fast impression. If Red Bull–Ford looks like raw firepower, Audi is betting on structure and systems. It’s different energy, but not necessarily a slower route if the operational plumbing is laid correctly.
Strip away the corporate announcements and you’re left with a simple face-off: a newcomer with a head start in know-how versus a manufacturer with deep pockets and patience. Red Bull–Ford will be dangerous from the first test, no question. Audi’s task is to keep its powder dry through the early pain and let the big machine gather momentum.
The good news for the fans? This isn’t a one-and-done novelty act. With money ring-fenced, a works backbone in place, and an honest read on the scale of the job, Audi’s in it for the long haul. And if the new rules do what they promise—reset the table, rein in the outliers, and make efficiency king—there’s room for a heavyweight to grow into the fight.
Just don’t mistake the quiet tone for a lack of ambition. Audi’s playing chess while Red Bull–Ford is speed-running the opening game. We’ll find out soon enough which strategy the 2026 rulebook actually rewards.
