Mattia Binotto reveals key area costing Audi performance in 2026

Head of Audi Formula 1 project Mattia Binotto has discussed the areas for improvement for the team.

The Italian explained that while the main area to gain performance will be with the power unit, the energy efficiency, deployment and driveability also need attention.

Audi joined the grid in 2026 as a works team after taking over Sauber at the end of 2025.

"We are aware as well that if I look at the overall performance and the gap to the best, where the biggest performance to gain is on the power unit itself, so most of our gap in performance is in the power unit, which is not a surprise," he told F1.com.

"We would have expected it. We know how difficult it is to build a brand-new power unit so it's not something which surprised us. It's not something which disappoints us. No, it's a matter of fact.

"We knew that would have been the biggest challenge. We knew that it's where there is the most to gain in performance, because I think the gap is significant, mainly on the power unit, but we've got plans to develop it.

"It's part of our journey. We have set an overall objective for 2030, not by chance, because we knew how long it would take. We are focusing on where we are and what's required."

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images

He added: "It's not only power. It's energy efficiency, energy deployment, but as well, it's about driveability of the engine itself. When you come to driveability, it's also with the gear change, which are very harsh for us at the moment.

"The car is unstable in braking, unstable in acceleration because of the harshness of the gear change. Maybe the ratio arrangements are not right. There is so much on driveability, as much as on pure performance.

"I think if you make the sum of the two, between performance and driveability, it can be up to a second per lap just by then. I believe that the car itself, chassis side, we've done a good job. Most of the delta is from the power unit. We will make it."

F1 is currently in a five-week break between the Japanese and Miami Grands Prix due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. Binotto added that the break will be "very important" for Audi to "rejoin, refocus on what are the next developments."

"I think it's really a chance for us because, since the winter testing, we have been focused so much on addressing all the problems we had, making sure that for the following event or race we were prepared and had solved them," Binotto said.

"That race preparation has been very time consuming for us. Once you are absorbed completely by race preparation, you can't develop as you wish so I think that April off, which is not an off obviously, will be very important for us to rejoin, refocus on what are the next developments, and make sure that we are not only fixing problems but developing properly."