F1 | Bottas on Audi changes: “Sudden news, everything happened quite quickly”

What Audi, on the Formula 1 side, has experienced in recent days has been a real earthquake that has redesigned future management. In the days preceding the Spa weekend, the house of the four rings, which from 2026 will work in partnership with Sauber in conjunction with the introduction of the new rules on power units, announced important news at the top which brought the farewells of Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann and the future arrival (from 1 August) of Mattia Binotto as head of the Audi F1 project.

Discussing these important changes, Valtteri Bottas admitted that this news was a bolt from the blue and that at the same time the changes within the Hinwil team are nothing new considering what has happened in recent years.

“Yes, it was rather sudden news – said Bottas on Thursday in Spa, quoted by Formula1.com – I think everything happened quite quickly, but obviously these are decisions taken at the top, us as drivers and many members of the team we don't really know what's going on behind the scenes. It was something quite unexpected but obviously we welcome Mattia to the team. At the same time I want to thank Seidl and Hoffman for their contribution."

The Finn, continuing to discuss what happened in recent days, said: “It's a new reset. It's no secret that when there is new leadership, it will always take some time first. Mattia must know what the weaknesses are, what the strengths are, what the priorities are for short and long term improvements and clearly this takes time."

The Sauber standard bearer, completing his analysis, added: “In the last three years it is the third time we have experienced a change at the top, it is not a new situation, and the team should not be too influenced by it. I think it's more about the future and obviously time will tell what will happen."