Audi driver links show project credibility - Binotto

Mattia Binotto says rival drivers being linked with Audi is evidence that the team’s Formula 1 project is already being taken seriously, with the Audi boss arguing that outside belief in its future competitiveness is now “a fact” rather than hype.

In an exclusive interview with RacingNews365, Binotto welcomed the speculation around Audi’s driver market. “The fact that other drivers are linked to our team, I can only be very happy with because it is showing the credibility of our project is improving,” he said. “It is showing that the perception from the outside that one day we can become competitive is no longer a rumour, but it is a fact.”

That came as Binotto addressed reports linking Carlos Sainz to the team. Sainz held serious talks with Audi through 2024 after Ferrari made room for Lewis Hamilton, but Binotto made clear he is satisfied with his current line-up of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg.

“Carlos is certainly a person whom I know very well, and it’s somehow easy and obvious to link him to Audi, but I can only say that I’m very happy with the lineup we have,” Binotto said.

He also pushed back on the idea that Audi’s pairing should mainly be judged as a balance of youth and experience. “Often, when discussing Gabriel and Nico, what I hear is that it is a good mix between experience and, on the other side, the young driver,” he said. “Instead, I would judge them differently. They are two very fast drivers, and I am happy because they are fast drivers, both of them, so we’ve got a good line-up.”

Audi’s early results have helped give that message weight. After taking over Sauber for the 2026 season, the team scored on its debut in Australia when Bortoleto finished ninth, then added further points in Britain, Belgium and Hungary. Those results lifted Audi above Williams into eighth in the constructors’ standings ahead of the summer break.

The progress has not been limited to the points finishes. Audi has also ended six of the first 11 races in 11th place, underlining how often it has been close to adding more. Even with the team acknowledging its in-house power unit as the weak link, it remains committed to its target of fighting for race wins and the world championship by 2030.