Audi Formula 1 boss Mattia Binotto said he found a “frozen” Sauber team when he joined last August.
Binotto replaced the departing Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffman last year, assuming dual responsibilities as Chief Operating and Chief Technical Officer as Audi management was dissatisfied with the progress being made at Sauber.
At that point, Sauber hadn’t scored a point in 2024 and developments being made towards the Audi takeover in 2026 appeared minimal to the public eye.
Upon joining the team, Binotto was concerned by what he saw.
“When I came in there was not only zero points, but really even no plans nor developments,” Binotto told Autosport.
“And that’s what concerned me the most.
“Everything was only focused on ’26, but that was for me somehow a problem because I think that a team needs always to fight on track.
“It’s only by fighting, competing on track, that you can understand how good you’re doing and if whatever you’re doing is going the right direction.
“You need to understand performance. You need to understand weaknesses and strengths, and you need as well to address them. And that’s the real know-how of a team.
“When I joined in August, really, it was like a team that was almost frozen.”
Binotto already seeing improvements at Sauber
Sauber eventually made amends on its pointless run in 2024.
Buoyed by an upgrade package installed at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Zhou Guanyu finished eighth in Qatar to attain Sauber’s only points of the campaign (four).
While not wholly satisfied with the end result in 2024, Binotto can at least see a Sauber team revitalised to improve itself this year and beyond.
“While making sure that we had the proper plans in our journey to become a top team in the future, we really needed to boost the team for improvement and possibly already during the current season,” Binotto said.
“How important the current season was was not only about not finishing with zero points, because finishing 10th with zero or 10th with four points does not change much,” he added.
“But it was more for us to make sure that we have defined the proper direction of development for next season as well – and being energised through the wintertime.
“Today, I can see a team that is more convinced on what’s required, what’s necessary for next season, and hopefully we can further develop the current car.”
In 2025, Binotto has a new driver line-up of Nico Hulkenberg and reigning Formula 2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto to help lead Sauber forward.
As the months roll by, the Hinwil-based outfit will welcome new Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley, who has departed Red Bull after many years serving as its Sporting Director.
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