Audi’s Formula 1 project has secured another high-profile addition to its fast-growing operation, with Max Verstappen’s chief mechanic at Red Bull Matt Caller reportedly joining the German manufacturer’s works team ahead of its 2026 debut.
The move marks another major coup in Audi’s ongoing recruitment drive as it prepares to take full control of the Sauber team and transition into a fully fledged works outfit.
For Red Bull, meanwhile, it represents another loss of key technical personnel just as the reigning world champions seek to maintain their dominance into the next regulatory era.
Audi’s aggressive recruitment drive gathers pace
Since confirming its entry into F1, Audi-Sauber has embarked on a determined campaign to build a world-class workforce across technical and operational areas.
The team’s leadership, now fronted by Mattia Binotto as chief operating and technical officer, has been steadily drawing talent from rival outfits – and the list continues to grow.
In recent weeks, Audi secured Wolf Zimmermann and engine man Lars Schmidt from Ferrari, both of whom worked closely with Binotto during his tenure in Maranello.
Now, the addition of Matt Caller signals that Audi’s recruitment net has expanded further into Red Bull’s inner circle.
Caller’s move is also understood to align with the vision of Jonathan Wheatley, Audi’s incoming sporting chief and a former Red Bull sporting director, who has been overseeing the development of the team’s race operations and pit stop infrastructure.
A decade at Red Bull, and now a new challenge
Caller joined Red Bull in 2015 from junior single-seater powerhouse Carlin, initially working as a No. 2 mechanic. His progression through the ranks was rapid: by 2022, he had earned the prestigious role of chief mechanic for Verstappen’s side of the garage – a position of enormous responsibility within a team that has claimed four consecutive drivers’ titles.
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He is expected to complete the 2025 campaign with the Milton Keynes outfit before transitioning to Audi at the end of the season.
While his exact title at the German manufacturer has yet to be disclosed, paddock sources suggest it will be a senior operational role, likely focusing on garage leadership and race preparation processes.
Caller’s move follows in the footsteps of Lee Stevenson, another long-time Red Bull mechanic who joined Audi in a senior technical capacity earlier this year.
Intriguingly, Caller’s twin brother Jon remains part of the Red Bull organisation as chief mechanic for Yuki Tsunoda’s car, meaning the 2026 grid will see the brothers working for rival camps.
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