Audi Unifies F1 Team Under Binotto Ahead of 2026 Debut
Audi aligns its Formula 1 programme more tightly with factory‑team principles and appoints Mattia Binotto as Head of the Audi F1 Project. Engineers in Hinwil, Neuburg an der Donau and the forthcoming technical centre in England now work as one integrated operation. With fewer than ten months until the marque’s debut in the pinnacle of motorsport, Binotto drives seamless collaboration between the race car and the hybrid power unit to increase development speed and efficiency.
On 1 May 2025 Christian Foyer became Chief Operating Officer of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, the division responsible for the F1 hybrid powertrain. The Aachen‑born engineer brings eighteen years of operational and project‑management experience across multiple Formula 1 teams and manufacturers. He takes over duties previously held by CEO Adam Baker, who departs the project by mutual agreement.
“We would like to thank Adam Baker for his commitment over the past years. He played a decisive role in shaping the overall strategic concept for the entry of Audi into Formula 1 and got the development of the power unit in Neuburg off the ground,” says Gernot Döllner, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG. “With Christian Foyer, we are bringing a proven expert in process structures in F1 powertrain development into the project. His experience will help ensure the synergistic cooperation and necessary speed on the journey we have embarked upon regarding the debut.”
Audi eliminated the standalone CEO post to streamline reporting lines. Stefan Dreyer, who continues to lead power‑unit development in Neuburg as Chief Technical Officer, now serves as spokesperson for the AFR management board.
Since early April, Jonathan Wheatley has acted as Team Principal and Management Board Spokesperson at Sauber Motorsport AG. Working closely with Binotto, Wheatley steers race‑team operations for the future Audi F1 Team and represents the manufacturer in Formula 1’s strategic forums, further reinforcing the unified approach that underpins Audi’s forthcoming Grand Prix campaign.
