Following Jonathan Wheatley’s sudden departure early in the 2026 season, Mattia Binotto will remain Audi’s F1 team principal. He has ruled out naming a new chief, instead reorganizing responsibilities so he can prioritize factory transformation and bring in dedicated weekend operational support. The change came between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix at Suzuka, where Audi left without points. Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto led the effort as the garage and pit wall delivered clean stops and calm calls.
The exit raised questions about stability, but Audi and Binotto moved fast to reset the structure and state that the project stays on course. Binotto will keep the team principal title and run a two-person model with a single clear boss. He plans to hire a deputy to lead race operations on weekends because he cannot attend every event. The aim is clear lines of command at the track and at the factories.
The priority sits in the factories. Binotto says Audi is in a deep transformation with a multi-year development plan. The target is roughly three years to build the team, then two years to fight for titles. Work spans at least 57 key projects across Hinwil and Neuburg. That push covers organization, tools, and performance programs that need steady guidance and time. Binotto wants to spend more days in Hinwil and Neuburg to drive that plan.
On the ground, the team has stayed intact. Suzuka showed sharp pit stops and solid pit-wall management even without points. The weekend backed Binotto’s view that the structure, not one person, shapes results. The crew executed cleanly and kept processes tight. That gave the leadership confidence to keep the course and avoid a wholesale change at the top.
The next hire will focus on race-weekend operations. The new deputy will oversee the garage and pit wall, balance car setup choices, and align track calls with the development flow from the factories. The role must hold weekend stability while intense back-office work continues in Hinwil and Neuburg. The person will report to Binotto, who remains the single point of authority. Audi wants the track group to be self-reliant and quick, while the factory group pushes long-term gains.
Binotto’s choice to stay on and not appoint a new chief sets the direction. It keeps leadership simple and frees him to steer the build-out behind the scenes. Audi says the project timeline stands, the structure is clear, and the race team will add targeted support to match the factory push.