F1 grid put on notice with nine-word Audi F1 mission statement issued

Audi boss Mattia Binotto has warned the F1 paddock that the German manufacturers are entering the sport to win and won’t be leaving before then – and even when they have won, they won’t be going anywhere.

The former Ferrari head has been appointed by Audi in a bid to steady a rocking ship ahead of their arrival into the sport in 2026.

Mattia Binotto sets target date for Audi F1 success

Audi will take over Sauber in 2026, becoming both a team on the grid as well as engine supplier following an update to the power unit regulations, but their preparation has been eventful to say the least.

Having first appointed McLaren’s Andreas Seidl, the German was fired alongside senior staff member Oliver Hoffmann and in their place came Binotto, marking his first return to F1 since leaving Ferrari in 2022.

But there have been a number of rumours that Audi’s parent company, Volkswagen, are getting cold feet and contemplating pulling out of the sport before a wheel has even spun. Binotto has ensured that is not the case and warned rival F1 teams that the famous four-ring manufacturer is here to win.

“It’s not only climbing a big mountain, it’s climbing Everest. It will take several years,” Binotto told BBC Sport .

“Our objective is by the end of the decade to be able to fight for the championships.

“We are in F1 until we win and after. It is a long-term commitment. We have joined F1 to be here and stay here.

“We intend to become a winning team and to set the benchmark and to stay then. It is not a joining and leaving. F1 is the pinnacle of the motorsport, it is great Audi is part of it finally and they are simply committed to stay.”

Binotto’s role at Audi could hardly be different from his previous job at Ferrari where the team was established decades ago and the Swiss chief commented he did not fully appreciate the differences until he was in the company.

“When you are here and you start looking into the details, the more you look, the more you realise where you are and what are the main differences to what I knew from before from Ferrari,” the 54-year-old said.

“Certainly the gap and the differences are many and the gap is big.

“It’s big because of dimensions, because of number of people, because of mindset, because of tools, facilities. Whatever you look around, it is really comparing a small team to a top team.”

More on Audi’s F1 arrival

Audi F1 ‘turnaround’ underway with Mattia Binotto ‘taking problems very seriously’

Audi and Valtteri Bottas playing ‘poker’ with Mick Schumacher as the ‘joker’ card

“We intend to become a winning team and to set the benchmark and to stay then. It is not a joining and leaving. F1 is the pinnacle of the motorsport, it is great Audi is part of it finally and they are simply committed to stay.”

As for doubts about VW’s commitment, Binotto dismissed reports as “not true” and said F1 fits into Audi’s brand perfectly.

“We can clearly state there are no risks,” Binotto said. “And the F1 programmes really fit with the Audi brand and vision.

“When Audi bought some shares and had the programme to become the full owner in the future, internally some plans have been done, some strategic plans have been discussed and established but not yet come to execution. So Sauber have been remaining in a limbo for a while.

“Second, certainly let’s say some of the focus and energies were put towards 2026, to try to make sure Audi was ready to start in 2026, and that took off some energy on the normal development path for 2024 and 2025.”

Read next: Front bib and T-tray explained: The F1 car part under suspicion in new tech row