Audi Formula 1 team principal Mattia Binotto has officially ruled out a pursuit of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, stating the factory outfit is currently unready to provide a championship-caliber platform.
Binotto addressed the rumors directly during a podcast interview broadcast in June 2026, when questioned about Audi's willingness to sign the Red Bull driver.
"Nee, dat zijn we niet. Ik in ieder geval niet.
En de reden daarvoor is dat ik denk dat we er als team nog niet klaar voor zijn.
Als Max zou toetreden, moet je hem een platform bieden dat echt geschikt is om voor overwinningen te strijden," said Binotto.
The Italian engineer emphasized his satisfaction with the existing driver lineup of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who both hold long-term contracts with the manufacturer.
"En misschien is het in de toekomst zelfs niet nodig, want ik ben op dit moment zo tevreden met de coureurs die we hebben - dus laten we afwachten wat de toekomst brengt.
Maar op dit moment hebben we langetermijncontracten met onze coureurs. Ik ben tevreden met de huidige situatie," aldus Binotto.
Speculation surrounding Verstappen escalated during the 2026 season due to performance struggles at Red Bull Racing, where the Dutchman secured only one podium finish in the opening five races after finishing third in Canada.
Despite trailing in ninth place in the constructors' standings, Binotto revealed internal data, wind tunnel correlation, and GPS telemetry indicate that the Audi R26 possesses the fourth-best chassis on the grid behind McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes.
"I'm very pleased by the chassis," Binotto told the Beyond the Grid podcast.
The team has struggled significantly with its newly developed power unit, experiencing software, driveability, and hardware reliability issues that caused a driver to miss the race start in Australia and China.
"Even discussing that with drivers, not only GPS telemetry analysis. First, we got a good correlation with the wind tunnel and the simulator.
That's in terms of platform from the engineering, that was the most important thing. Again, in our process and methodologies, we've done a step forward," Binotto added.
The current performance restrictions place Audi ahead of Red Bull in pure aerodynamic platform capability, though the engine remains a multi-year development project with structural upgrades planned for 2028.
"But, I think our car is pretty fast in the corners.
We believe that maybe we're even the fourth team in terms of chassis, which as an ex-Sauber, it's an outstanding result," Binotto continued.
Binotto outlined that the overarching objective for the 2026 debut season focuses entirely on cultural and operational shifts rather than championship points or specific qualifying targets.
"We have agreed and discussed that with the team, and as much as we have set a 2030 objective, we have a roadmap to it, and we've got objectives for 2026, but the roadmap is first to become competitive as a team and maybe a challenger," Binotto told Beyond the Grid.
The expansion strategy for the manufacturer includes upgrading the main Hinwil facility and establishing a dedicated technical base in the United Kingdom.
"And then a true, let me say, potential competitor for the win and final win," Binotto said.
The team principal expects that the foundational work completed throughout the remaining races of the 2026 season will establish Audi as a serious competitor in the eyes of the public and media.
"Now, 2026 is our very first season as Audi, and somehow to become competitive is really what we have set ourselves as an ambition and a target objective for the season, which is not the number of points, not the number of maybe Q3 or whatever positions in the championship.
It's the mentality transformation," Binotto explained.
The driver market remains highly restricted for Verstappen, as alternative top teams including Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari have locked in multi-year driver pairings, while Mercedes currently dominates the 2026 season with five consecutive victories.
"To become competitive means that every single person in the team understands what does it mean to compete and being Audi," he continued.
Speculation regarding Verstappen's future heightened after paddock meetings between Jos Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in Canada, which rival team principal Laurent Mekies dismissed as standard social interaction.
"Not anymore, as we said before, to be self-satisfied by participating, but no stones un-turned, moving forward, raising the bar and the challenge to become better each single race," Binotto stated.
Verstappen's existing Red Bull contract runs through 2028, though it contains a performance-related exit clause activatable around the upcoming summer break depending on his world championship positioning.
"On the chassis side, I'm particularly satisfied," Binotto explained.
The driver's long-term future remains tied to upcoming regulatory negotiations, with Verstappen expressing critical views on hybrid power rules and monitoring potential engine hardware changes planned by the FIA for 2027.
"Not only does the data support that view, but our drivers' feedback confirms it too.
We're also seeing that our simulation and wind tunnel results align well with what happens on track. Technically speaking, that's a huge step forward," Binotto added.
The German manufacturer continues its focused program at the Neuburg engine facility to systematically reduce the performance deficit to rival power unit builders.
"In high-speed and medium-speed corners, our car is particularly strong.
Based on our analysis, we believe we may be the fourth team on the grid in terms of chassis.
For an organisation that emerged from Sauber, that's an excellent result and proof that development on the technical, organisational, and aerodynamic side is working," Binotto stated.
The ongoing development schedule establishes 2028 as the target year for Audi to achieve engine parity before mounting a full world championship campaign by the turn of the decade.
"When we compare ourselves to the top teams, our biggest gap right now is in the power unit.
Performance, software, and driveability all need to improve.
That difference doesn't disappear quickly, because engine development operates on much longer timelines than aerodynamic upgrades," he said.
The factory team operates under an infrastructure expansion roadmap designed to gradually transition the former midfield independent into a fully integrated manufacturer team.
"2026 is primarily about becoming competitive as a team," Binotto explained.
The team is next scheduled to compete in the upcoming rounds of the world championship prior to the summer contract evaluation deadlines.
"It's not about a specific position or a certain number of points, but about creating the right mentality.
We don't expect to be at the same level as the top teams in 2027. 2028 seems more realistic.
Ultimately, 2030 remains the big goal.
By the end of this season, I hope everyone can see that Audi has become a serious player and that our transformation is visible to fans and media alike," Binotto concluded.
