Audi is restructuring its Formula 1 team once again

Was Audi aware just how tricky it’d be to set up its new Formula 1 team? Given how many times things have changed behind the scenes, we’d argue it probably wasn’t.

And now there’s been yet another spin of the managerial merry-go-round, with CEO of the project Adam Baker leaving “by mutual agreement”.

That CEO role is apparently now considered obsolete, and former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has been given more power as he’s been promoted to ‘Head of Audi F1 Project’. We’re told Binotto will now be responsible for “development activities at the Hinwil and Neuburg an der Donau facilities, as well as at the future technical centre in England”.

Christian Foyer, who has previous with Lotus, will now join as chief operating officer of Audi Formula Racing GmbH. That’s the separate company responsible for Audi’s new F1-spec hybrid powertrains. However, Stefan Dreyer will continue his role as CTO for said company, and will now take on the additional role of ‘spokesperson for the AFR management board’.

Oh, and former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley is team principal and 'management board spokesperson' at Sauber Motorsport AG in preparation for the takeover.

“We would like to thank Adam Baker for his commitment over the past years,” said Audi’s big boss Gernot Döllner. “He played a decisive role in shaping the overall strategic concept for the entry of Audi into Formula 1 and got the development of the power unit in Neuburg off the ground.

“With Christian Foyer, we are now bringing a proven expert in process structures in F1 powertrain development into the project. His experience will help ensure the synergistic cooperation and necessary speed on the journey we have embarked upon regarding the debut.”

It’s just under 10 months until Audi’s F1 debut, so it better get cracking with more of that ‘synergistic cooperation’ if it wants to rapidly improve the fortunes of the current Sauber team.