An Audi Formula One concept car.
Audi has hired the former head of Ferrari's Formula 1 team to lead the brand's push to join the racing competition in 2026.
Mattia Binotto will assume the roles of chief operating officer and chief technical officer at the Sauber Motorsport F1 business on Aug. 1, Audi said.
Binotto will replace Oliver Hoffmann, who vacated his position as Audi's technology chief to oversee the F1 project, and Sauber Motorsport CEO Andreas Seidl.
It's unclear whether Hoffmann will take on another position at Audi.
Audi took full ownership of the Sauber F1 team earlier this year. It will become the factory Audi team in 2026.
Audi is making its own F1 power unit in Neuburg in Bavaria. It said preparations were "going full speed ahead."
Mattia Binotto led Ferrari's F1 team for three years. He also managed the team's engine department.
The leadership changes were intended to provide clearer management structures and streamline decision-making, Audi said.
As part of those efforts, Audi CEO Gernot Doellner will become Sauber Motorsport's chairman, the company said in a statement on June 23.
A mechanical engineer, Binotto became team principal of Ferrari's F1 team in 2019 but resigned three years later after a disappointing season that failed to bring the title back to the Italian supercar maker. He also managed the Ferrari team's engine department and served as its technical director.
F1 has seen a string of deals and a jump in valuations since Liberty Media Corp. took over the sport in 2017 and marketing investments soared. Popularity in the US has taken off after the success of the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive.
Reuters contributed to this report
