Mattia Binotto, Audi-Sauber’s new COO and chief technical officer, has revealed that it took him just 48 hours to commit to the German manufacturer’s Formula 1 project.
Binotto, who spent over 30 years at Ferrari and rose to the rank of team principal, was let go by the Scuderia at the end of 2022.
The Italian engineer admits that his exit was a brutal disruption on a personal level which led to a difficult transition period.
While he appreciated his sudden availability and the time spent with his family, the unexpected stop after almost three decades of constant work took a toll on him mentally.
“I think it’s not an easy one, because after 30 years, you may dream of finally having some holidays,” Binotto told the media in Monza recently.
“You may dream of having some days off, to visit and stay with your family, which have been great times I have to say, and very useful.
“But to stop suddenly, after 28 years, you are always at 100 per cent, 120 per cent, 24/7. It’s hard.”
However, Binotto’s passion for Formula 1 remained undiminished, as he found himself continuing to watch races and analyze the data as if he were still part of the team.
“I was already back home watching all the sessions, analysing my data, trying to understand what was going on, reading newspapers, reading what journalists were writing.
“Just imagine how bad it can be, doing my own assessment! So no, it was hard, but I have passions.”
And when Audi came knocking, his passion was instantly reignited.
“I think I didn’t accept any compromises, also in terms of offers I received, because I was really waiting for the project, which, when it came, we signed in two days, showing the big commitment to it.”
Binotto now faces the daunting task of leading Audi’s preparations for its 2026 F1 debut, while simultaneously working to improve Sauber’s fortunes out on the track.
With the Hinwil squad currently struggling and scoreless after 16 rounds of the 2024 season, the 54-year-old knows that he has a significant challenge on his hands.
But the former Ferrari boss is no stranger to high-pressure environments, having worked under the immense expectations of the iconic Italian team.
“I have a benchmark in mind,” Binotto said. “I think that will certainly help the project. ‘What should we do? Then it’s a matter of, ‘how can we do it as fast as possible?’
“Today, I see the benchmark is clear. We are setting our priorities because you can’t do it all in one.”
While Audi’s timeline is ambitious, Binotto remains confident that the right approach and structure can yield success. Drawing from his experiences at Ferrari, particularly in the team’s dominant early 2000s era, he emphasized the importance of building a strong foundation.
“It’s several years and as well, based on my experience, I was lucky to join Ferrari in 1995 and was part of that great period,” he said.
“But I saw the process and took time as well 30 years ago, by employing very young people, creating foundations, having senior skill people as well in the team, creating the team spirit, the mindset of a winning team, improving.”
Binotto concluded by expressing his excitement for the challenge, which has turned out to be even greater than what he had anticipated.
“So there is so much, which is fascinating, which I love,” he said. “I was looking for a big challenge and I signed because the challenge is even bigger than the one that I was expecting.”
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