Audi very happy with their driver line-up, no need for Max Verstappen

Verstappen has previously been linked to Audi since the German manufacturer committed to Formula 1, with the four-time F1 World Champion viewed by former Red Bull heavy hitter Jonathan Wheatley (Audi team principal at the time) as the ideal driver to spearhead the ambitious project. But Wheatley departed the team abruptly earlier this year, and it appears the tune has changed as a result.

Audi F1 CEO and team principal Mattia Binotto made it clear that Audi's current focus is building a championship-calibre team rather than recruiting Formula 1's biggest star.

When Binotto was asked on the Beyond the Grid podcast whether he or Audi were involved in discussions regarding Verstappen, he said, "I'm not, and the reason why I think is that we are not yet ready for it as a team." If Max would join, you need to offer him a platform which is a proper, proper flat platform where he can fight for victories.”

Audi's transformation from Sauber into a full factory operation remains a work in progress, with Binotto targeting championship contention by 2030. For now, the Italian believes stability and development are more important than signing a superstar.

“Maybe it will not even be required in the future because, as I said, I'm so happy at the moment with the drivers we've got,” Binotto explained. “At the moment we've got long-term contracts with our drivers, and I'm happy with the current situation.”

Binotto described Audi's driver line-up as the perfect blend of experience and youth for a team still building its foundations: “I think speaking about my drivers, that's the easiest task I have in the interview tonight.

"At the end I think I'm very pleased and happy with the drivers we've got. The mix, the setup, a more experienced driver and a younger driver," reckoned Binotto of 38-year-old Hulkenberg and 21-year-old Bortoleto.

The Audi boss reserved special praise for Hülkenberg, whose experience has become invaluable during the team's transition into a works operation: “Nico is really an easy one to deal with, in a way, because he's always very honest, transparent, and funny.

“No politics at the end. He loves driving, and he's good at driving. He's consistent. He's got the experience. He's scoring points. So getting the most out of the car in a race weekend.”

Binotto pointed to Hülkenberg's breakthrough Formula 1 podium at Silverstone as proof of the German's quality and racecraft: “We saw his podium in Silverstone was about experience, how to drive in those situations."

While Hülkenberg provides the experience, Audi sees Bortoleto as a potential future world champion. The Brazilian arrived at the team after winning consecutive Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles and has already made a strong impression on Binotto.

“When I met him the first time, I was somehow impressed,” Binotto recalled. “Humble, very high ambition, no doubt. He's got the full ambition to become a champion one day, and that is in his mind. Any decision he's taking is towards becoming a champion one day.”

According to Binotto, Bortoleto's desire to learn from the sport's greats is one of the qualities that stands out most: “He wants to learn from previous drivers. Whenever we talk, it's, 'tell me about Michael [Schumacher] and what he was doing.'

“He's passionate, obviously being Brazilian, about [Ayrton] Senna, so trying to know everything about him, but not simply because he has been a hero in Brazil, because he wants to know how those guys became champions," added the Italian.

Binotto also highlighted Bortoleto's work ethic: “He is listening. He is willing to learn and whatever you may tell him, he will try to put it into practice. I think that is the right attitude and I'm enjoying somehow staying close to him and seeing the progress.”

Bortoleto's technical approach has also impressed Audi's leadership: “He is certainly deep diving with the engineers on the details, from one race to the others, having meetings, willing to understand, never being self-satisfied, pushing the engineers.

“He can be very kind, but whenever he puts the visor down on track, he can be very aggressive as well. I think that's great to see and I think he has the potential you need to become a champion one day,” Binotto explained.

For now, Audi's message is clear. Verstappen may be Formula 1's benchmark driver, but Binotto believes the team's present as well as future is already sitting in its own garage.