Audi is the latest Formula 1 team on the grid, lead by former Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto. You may know Binotto by his instantly recognizable curly hair, stylish glasses, and diplomatic personality. Despite reaching the highest position in motorsport as an F1 team boss, Binotto is not obsessed with cars in a way you might expect. He does not have a vast vintage car collection, nor does he have any plans to add an old Audi to his garage at home.
CarBuzz had a chance to speak with Binotto at the debut of the Audi R26 Concept in Munich, Germany, and we asked if there were any old Audi models he had his eye on now that he was the team boss. While he doesn’t have any classic Audi cars on his shopping list, there is a brand-new one Binotto is keen to drive. And it’s one you might not expect.
“Anything I tell you about classic cars would be wrong. I do not have a car collection,” Binotto answered when asked about purchasing any classic Audi models from the past. “Even when I ran Ferrari, I could not tell you anything about their old models. So there’s nothing I want.”
Binotto was fully transparent that he is not in love with vintage cars, but he is fully ready to embrace the future, including the half-hybrid R26 race car that will appear on the F1 grid next year. When we inquired if Binotto had his eye on any new Audi products to be his company car, he had a quick answer prepared. “I want the new concept,” he said in reference to the recently revealed Concept C electric sports car.
The Concept C takes elements from the TT and the R8, and blends them into one car, so it’s easy to see why Binotto is so stricken by it. Of course, Audi needs to put the car into production before he can truly have one as his personal car. To which Binotto simply responded, “we will.”
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has already confirmed the Concept C is more than a design exercise, and it previews a production vehicle. That model will likely be less common and more expensive than the TT, especially given its electric powertrain, but if it looks as good as the Concept C, this could be a new halo model to replace the R8.
Elements from the Concept C will be used on future Audi models, and we are already seeing design features from the car trickle to other parts of the brand. For example, the front end of the R26 F1 car is painted in Titanium, the same color that debuted on the Concept C. Audi has not even lined up for a single F1 race, and we are already seeing how the company’s involvement in the sport may be shaping future product moves.
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