Following Jonathan Wheatley's departure from the team principal role at Audi last week, COO and CEO Mattia Binotto immediately stepped in as the Briton's replacement.

However, GPblog understands that this is not a permanent appointment, as Binotto ultimately wants to fully refocus on leading the broader Audi project.

GPblog can report that no internal timeframe has been set at Audi, so it remains unclear how long Binotto will carry out the team principal role.

The Swiss-Italian will be in Japan this coming weekend, where he will speak with the international press after the Grand Prix.

Following on from Racing Bulls on Saturday, Haas and Mercedes became the latest team to unveil special designs for the upcoming Grand Prix in Suzuka.

First up were Haas, who have been partners with Toyota Gazoo Racing since 2024, and shared a Godzilla-inspired livery design for this weekend to celebrate the signing of a season-long collaboration with Japanese entertainment company Toho Co., Ltd.

Later on, Mercedes joined in on all the fun, and revealed a bold wolf-inspired design to the front wing of their W17.

Under the caption “unleashing the beast,” the Constructors’ leaders have shared renders of the car they hope will secure a third straight win in 2026.

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