Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has reiterated the long-term vision for the German manufacturer’s Formula 1 project, declaring that the marque’s ultimate objective is to fight for the world championship by the end of the decade.
Nine races into Audi’s maiden F1 campaign following its takeover of Sauber’s entry for the 2026 season, the team sits ninth in the constructors’ standings with six points, all scored by sophomore Gabriel Bortoleto.
While experienced team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is still searching for his first top-ten finish, the outfit has consistently shown encouraging pace, reaching Q2 at every grand prix and progressing into Q3 on three occasions.
Those early signs have reinforced Binotto’s belief that Audi’s current focus should remain on building the foundations of a championship-calibre operation rather than measuring progress solely through race-day results.
A long-term blueprint
Speaking about the team's roadmap, Binotto stressed that Audi’s ambitions stretch well beyond its first seasons on the Formula 1 grid.
"We've actually set ourselves a goal that extends well beyond 2026 and 2027,” he said, speaking to Motorsport.com
“Our target is 2030: we want to build a team capable of competing for the world championship.
“We know there will be important milestones along this journey. The first, for us, will likely be 2028, when we expect to make a further leap in quality.
“That's why I see 2026 and 2027 primarily as years of construction, rather than years judged solely on racing results.
“At this stage, I'm most interested in seeing the company grow. Just over a hundred people work on the track, but behind the scenes there are around 1,400 working every day on the chassis and power unit.
“Often, people only look at the team on the track, but that's the visible part of the project. The track is the icing on the cake. But first, we have to build the cake.
“For me, the most important results over the next two years will be those related to the growth of the organisation."
Binotto’s comments underline Audi’s commitment to a measured development strategy, with the next major regulatory overhaul expected in 2031 also viewed as a significant opportunity for the manufacturer to establish itself among Formula 1’s leading teams.
Chassis encouraging, engine still evolving
While Audi has been encouraged by the competitiveness of its chassis, Binotto acknowledged there is still significant work to be done on the power unit.
That weakness was particularly evident at Silverstone, where both Bortoleto and Hulkenberg featured near the bottom of the qualifying speed trap figures.
Independent performance analysis has also suggested Audi's internal combustion engine remains more than four per cent behind the benchmark set by Red Bull Ford, leaving the manufacturer with two engine development tokens to help close the gap.
Binotto, however, remains confident that Audi’s power unit programme will mature quickly.
"Regarding the power unit, I'm not surprised,” he said. “I knew we'd be starting a bit late, because we're building completely new skills and knowledge.
“It's a long-term project and I'm convinced Audi will have a top-notch power unit within a couple of seasons.
“Regarding the chassis, however, I'm very satisfied. We started building this project a couple of years ago, and today we're starting to see the first results.
“What this team has been able to achieve is already a huge success and gives me confidence. It means we have the right people to build a winning team.
“It's always difficult to determine whether we're fourth or fifth in competitiveness today, but just listen to the comments of the drivers from other teams. Everyone recognises that our car is very strong in the corners.
“You can also see this from data analysis: what we lose on the straights, we manage to make up for in the corners."
That cornering performance has already earned praise within the paddock, with Bortoleto previously suggesting the Audi chassis is capable of matching the front-running packages in high-speed sections.
If the manufacturer can unlock comparable gains from its power unit programme over the coming seasons, Binotto believes the building blocks will be in place to transform Audi from an ambitious newcomer into a genuine championship contender by 2030.
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