Mattio Binotto turns to former Mercedes engine boss to lead Audi's F1 power unit push

Audi has appointed the former managing director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in the hope of boost its own engine development.

Thomas Fuhr will join as CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH on 1 November and responsible for developing and building the power unit for Audi's Formula 1 project in Neuburg an der Donau.

The move comes near the end of Audi's first season as a works team. It currently sits eighth in the constructors' championship. Audi says the new structure lets Stefan Dreyer, Chief Technology Officer, concentrate entirely on the technical development of its Formula 1 engine. Christian Foyer stays on as Chief Operating Officer and keeps running operations at the Neuburg site.

Fuhr ran Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains from 2009 to 2012. After that he held senior executive roles at GROHE and LIXIL, and he joins Audi from his most recent job as Chief Technology Officer of Georg Fischer Building Flow Solutions. Audi credits him with more than three decades of international engineering and leadership experience.

The new CEO pointed to the work already done in Bavaria. He said: "I am proud to join Audi's Formula 1 project. The chance to help shape Audi's future in the sport is what makes this opportunity so exciting. The team in Neuburg has developed an entirely new power unit and brought it to the track."

Mattia Binotto, Audi's team CEO and team principal, also stressed what the engine department has achieved so far: "We have built strong foundations in Neuburg, developing Audi's first Formula 1 power unit from the ground up." Binotto said Fuhr would help develop the organisation as Audi pursues its ambition to become "the best F1 manufacturer."

The appointment brings back a role Audi removed in its 2025 reorganisation after Adam Baker left and the chassis and engine programmes were both placed under Binotto. Since May 2025 Dreyer has also acted as spokesperson for the Audi Formula Racing management board, alongside his technical role.

The new set-up splits running the engine company from improving the engine itself. Fuhr will lead the wider organisation. Dreyer stays responsible for the hardware, and Foyer handles day-to-day operations.

The engine has held Audi back and while the power deficit from the first engine built at the new Neuburg factory was not unexpected, it is hard to make up in such a tight field. Audi has spent the past few weeks reshaping its leadership to strengthen engine development.

Fuhr steps in as Audi prepares for its second season under Formula 1's new technical regulations. With Dreyer freed from wider management duties, the next engine should show whether the restructure gives Neuburg the push it needs to close the gap to the established manufacturers.