Mattia Binotto took stock of where Audi currently stands in Formula 1 compared to Mercedes and Ferrari in 2026. Regarding the power unit, the executive acknowledged that the work will not be an overnight task to reach the level of its rivals.
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The German team joined the grid this year after taking over Sauber’s operation. With new regulations, the manufacturer developed its own engine and, as expected, is not yet delivering maximum performance, despite having managed to score points with Gabriel Bortoleto at the Australian GP, the season opener.
So, regarding the disadvantage it has compared to Mercedes and Ferrari, the executive pointed out that it’s not just something related to performance, but numerous areas that need to be addressed, acknowledging that it’s not something to be done overnight.
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“It’s not just about power. It’s about energy efficiency, energy utilization, but also the drivability of the engine itself. When we talk about drivability, we also refer to gear changes, which are very abrupt for us at the moment,” he said.
“The car is unstable under braking, unstable under acceleration due to the abruptness of gear changes. Perhaps the gear ratio is not correct. There is a lot to be done in terms of drivability, as much as in terms of pure performance. I think if we add the two factors, between performance and drivability, we can reach 1s per lap. I believe we did a good job with the car itself, in terms of chassis. Most of the difference comes from the power unit. We will succeed,” he continued.
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