MATTIA BINOTTO OFFERS INTRIGUING SEBASTIAN VETTEL AUDI F1 RESPONSE AS RUMOURS SWIRL

Former Scuderia Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has been appointed as the operational and technical director of the Audi F1 project — and when it comes to signing drivers, he has some big plans.

Nico Hulkenberg was Audi F1’s first driver signing, which took place well before Binotto arrived — but when it comes to Hulk’s teammate, there are still plenty of options. Including one Sebastian Vettel.

Mattia Binotto: ‘Sebastian Vettel? I adore him’

Binotto was spotted in the paddock during the Italian Grand Prix weekend and Sky Germany managed to wrangle the incoming Audi boss for a quick interview about his plans for the coming year.

In the interview, Binotto explained that he had been approached by both Red Bull Powertrains and Aston Martin after his “gardening leave” came to an end, but that he was waiting for the right role — one that would give him ample sway in the decision making process.

Audi’s incoming Formula 1 program turned out to be the perfect role, especially as it will allow Binotto to play a key role in selecting the driver to partner with Nico Hulkenberg. And in that conversation, Binotto hit immediately on a fan favorite.

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“Vettel?” Binotto asked. “I adore him, having worked with him in the past.

“Knowing him, you appreciate his greatness as a person even before as a driver.”

Is the retired Vettel a far-fetched option? Not particularly; in April of 2024, Vettel admitted to toying with the idea of an F1 return in 2025.

But would Audi be the right choice? Vettel ended the first phase of his career with Aston Martin, a team that failed to produce the kind of front-running results the former World Champion likely wanted.

At the moment, Audi represents a huge question mark. Audi will take over operations of Sauber in F1 2025, but the team’s F1 2024 performance has left a lot to be desired as neither Zhou Guanyu nor Valtteri Bottas has been able to score a single point.

If Vettel isn’t in the cards, though, Binotto revealed that he’s looking at several different options.

“At the moment, I haven’t decided yet,” Binotto admitted.

“It will take a couple of weeks. I want to look around and make the right choice, not just for the short term.

“Mick Schumacher? He is on our list, as are other drivers.

“We’re not in a hurry; we’ll decide before the end of September.”

Though Binotto mentioned both Schumacher and Vettel by name, there are multiple other drivers rumored to be in contention for Audi’s second seat. Current Sauber driver Bottas would be a natural choice, as he already has experience with the team.

However, 19-year-old Brazilian racer Gabriel Bortoleto has also been rumored as a potential choice. Bortoleto is the reigning Formula 3 champion and currently sits in second in the 2024 Formula 2 championship.

2024-09-06T17:48:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd